IMPROVED POSITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21975, 9 June 1933, Page 6

IMPROVED POSITION

BRITISH CAR INDUSTRY. A distinct improvement in the condition of the British motor car industry was reported by Mr Walter H. Johnson, a director of the Humber group of companies, who arrived in Wellington on Tuesday by the Marama from Sydney in the course of a visit' to distributing centres in various parts of the world. Mr Johnson said in an interview with an Evening Post reporter that he had recently spent three months in the Union of South Africa, and during the past few weeks fie had been in Australia. He would probably spend about three weeks in New Zealand before returning to Sydney, en route to the Dutch East Indies, the Malay States, China, and Japan. He had been away from Home since last December* but the news he had had was cheerful and indicated an improving position in the industry. That improvement, so far as the export of British cars wai concerned, was due in laree measure to the fact that those manufacturers who were honestly interested in export business were meeting the neeas of their variou's overseas territories, particularly the British territories. In the Union of South Africa he found that during the last six months 60 per cent, of the cars sold were British—and that in, a country where there was no preference for the British product. Somewhat the same position obtained in Australia, and the .demand was growing steadily. It had always been the policy of the group of companies whicn ha represented to make the design and construction of all its models suitable for world usage, and in pursuance of that policy visits were paid to the various distributing centres, thereby facilitating the solution of any problems that might arise, and giving that personal contact which was so helpful to the industry.