MOTOR-CAR MARKET

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18598, 8 January 1935, Page 6

MOTOR-CAR MARKET

GISBORNE IMPROVEMENT

THREE MONTHS’ FIGURES

MANY NEW VEHICLES

Recent visitors to Gisborne have frequently remarked that irt proportion to the size of the town there appear to be more new ears in this district, than anywhere else in New Zealand, and judging from -statistics obtained from the motor registration, office, that impression is not a mistaken one. If purchases of now cars can be taken as an indication of recovery from the depression period, there inns! be little shortage of money amongst a certain section of the people of Gisborne, for in the last quarter of 1934: an unusually large number of new ears were sold here.

Many people who normally replace their cars at more or less regular intervals hold on to them during the depression years, and have only in the last year decided upon the purchase of new vehicles. Yet that fact alone could hardly account for such a remarkable improvement in the motor-car market, which has lately been experiencing something in the nature of a boom. Probably the fact that motor manufacturers in their latest, models have departed completely from Hie accepted lines of a year or so ago, thus out,-dating otherwise satisfactory cars, had a good deal to do with it. At, any rate, motor dealers in Gisborne have been hard pressed to keep pace with the demand.

75 NEW CARS' During the last quarter of 1934 alone a total of 61 new cars were registered in the Gisborne office, as against 28 for the corresponding three months of the previous year, while other subsidiary registration offices of the Gisborne tSJbtrict registered in addition 14 new cars, as against six for the corresponding quarter in 1933. Including commercial vehicles and motor-cycles, there were 95 registrations of new vehicles at the Gisborne office during the quarter, compared with 51 for the corresponding quarter in. the previous year, and 19 at the district offices, -qjjs compared with 14. During December alone 27 new cars, six motorcycles, and 16 commercial vehicles were registered at the Gisborne office. The December quarter was notable, also, for the large number of reregistrations of motor-vehicles of all kinds, indicating that motorists who had laid their vehicles up for longperiods had placed them on the road again. Many motorists during the past few years have stored their cars for the winter, and have saved a considerable sum by withholding registrations until the commencement of the holiday period. These ears still remain on the register, however, and are counted ,as normal annual registrations when their owners take them out again; -but vehicles which remain unregistered for a period exceeding two years are removed from the register, and the re-registration of them is a transaction similar to the registration of a. new car.

20 RE-REGISTRATIONS ~, At: the Gisborne office during the December quarter 20 vehicles were thus re-registered, as compared with 14 during the corresponding period of the previous year, and at the district offices there were four re-registrations as against three. The following figures provide an interesting indication of the state of the motor car market in Gisborne. Tho statistics for the Gisborne office ami the Gisborne district offices are kept separate, and the latter are not, included in tho former, while the figures for the corresponding periods in 1933 are shown in parentheses:—

GISBORNE OFFICE. —New Vehicles— Cars.—October, 16 (7); November, 18 (10); December, 27 (11V; quarter, 61 (28). Motor-cycles. October, 1 (4); November, l (0); December, 6 (3); quarter, 8 (7). Commercial vehicles.—October, 5 (3); November, 5 (5); December, Hi (S); quarter, 26 (16). Total of now vehicles for quarter. — 95 (51).

—Re-registered Vehicles — Cars. —October, 1 (!)■; November, 8 (2); December, 7 (6); quarter, 16 (9). Motor-cycles.—October, 1 (1); November, J (0); December, l) (0); quarter, 2 (1). Commercial vehicles.—October, 0 (0); November, 1 (2); December, 1 (2)-; quarter, 2 (-1). Total of re-registered vehicles for quarter.-—2O (14).

GISBORNE DISTRICT ’ —New Vehicles— Cars.—October, 6 (1) ; November, 12 (4): December, 6 (1) ; quarter, 14 (6). ■ Motor-cycles.—October, 0 (2); November, 0 (1) ; December, 0 (0) ; quarter, 0 (3). Commercial vehicles.—October, 1 (1) ; November, 0 (2) ; December, 4 (2); quarter, 5 (5). Total of new vehicles for quarter.— 19 (14). —Re-registered Vehicles — Cars. —October, 1 (0); November, 0 (0); December, 1 (0); quarter, 2 (0). .Motor-cycles.—October, 0 (1); November, 0 (0); December. 0 (0); quarter.' 0 (1). Commercial vehicles. October, 1 (1 )•; November, 1 (0); December, 0 (1); quarter, 2 (2). Total of re-registered vehicles for quarter.—4 (3). SUMMARY. New vehicles for quarter. —Gisborne, 1)5 (51); district. 19 (14). Re-registered vehicles for quarter.— Gisborne, 20 (14); district, 4 (3).