Cars for the Masses

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22949, 29 January 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

Cars for the Masses

POSITION IN AMERICA The most complete survey of a nation's automotive statistics ever taken has been recently concluded by United States Department of Commerce. He investigation disclosed tho amazing fact that 7,000,000 American families owning motor-cars, have incomes of less than £4 per week. This total represents 34 per cent of all the cars registered in U.S.A. The survey showed that 55.5 per cent of the cars are owned by families with incomes of less than £6 per week, and that 73.1 per cent are owned by families earning less than £8 a week. The initial low cost of new and used cars in America, plus low petrol prices and automobile taxation, all contribute toward this amazing situation. As a matter of fact, it is the working class in America, that provides the major market in that 'country for new and reconditioned cars. Actually, less than 2 per cent of the nation's motor-cars are owned by families with incomes as high as £2O a week. Official figures also disclosed how important the motor-car has become in American agricultural life. Among middle class farm families, having an average income of from £6 to £7 per week, the average annual expenditure for food was £7B 15s.—for motor transportation, £3B 15s. —(use of automobiles for farm tasks was deducted) for clothing, £27 los., while the household expenditure averaged just under £'27. Medical care averaged £l6 per annum. From these statistics it appears that, in the basic needs of the American farmer, motor transportation actually ranks second to food.