CAR PRODUCTION

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12094, 23 March 1925, Page 11

CAR PRODUCTION

t . —»- AMAZING DEVELOPMENT. In 1902 America only had 314 car®.?? against 6253 in Great Britain and 23,.U in France, the latter country then being the leader of the world’s automobile industry. Since that date what an amazing and remarkable development has taken place in U.S.A. The latest statistics from America in connection with the automobile industry in that country are so huge that they are well worth recording. At the end of 1924 there were 17,000,900 automobiles in U.S.A., comprising 15.200,000 passenger chicles and 1,800,000 motor trucks. Last year 3.2»c,0(K> cars and 370,000 trucks were made. Huge as the 1824 output was, it did not beat the production of 1923. when the record was 4,086,997 motor vehicles. An interesting feature of the 1924 output was the fact that of the 3,650,000 passenger curs turned out 1,300,000 had closed in bodies. The total wholesale value of cars and trucks made in America in 1924 was ■£455,600,000. whilst parts and accessories, exclusive of tyres, were valued (wholesale) at 20174,567,200. In the same twelve month 45,000.000 motor tyres were made. Tlie average selling of cars in the States last year was £163 and that of motor trucks £205. All told 3,105,060 people are employed iu that country in the nutomobile and allied trades. It is worthy of note that out of 19,500,000 cars in the world, 87 per cent, or 17,000,000 are in America—equal to approximately one car for every seven people in that country. In Australia the percentage is about 1 to 30 of the population.