CARS FROM BRITAIN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18770, 29 July 1935, Page 9

CARS FROM BRITAIN

ASSEMBLY OF PARTS IN N.Z. IMPORTERS PLEASED ' 'Motor-cars will probably be imported into New Zealand from the United Kingdom with most of the parts, wheels, mudguards, radiators, bonnets, engines, arid axles—packed inside the steel shells of the bodies, as the result of the change in the future definition for the assess-, ment of duty of an unassembled or knocked down car which was announced by tho Acting-Minister of Customs, HonA. Hamilton, in a recent statement. A change was to have been made at the, end of next month .in the regulations governing the point, but this will not now be made, and a different change to make the importation of United Kingdom cars in pieces easier is. now expected -instead. Before' the* announcement was' made the importation of cars under the duty provided for unassembled cars was only to be possible if they werein many comparatively small parts. Importers did not anticipate that- importation in this manner would be profitable, but it is now to be possible to import cars in a state of somewhat greater assembly, which, it is anticipated, will make the completing of assembly of United Kingdom cars here commercially practicable. IMPORTERS GENERALLY PLEASED Mr A. W. Hawley, representative in. N.Z. of the Society of Motor Manufacturers, of England, said in Wellington yesterday that the new arrangements were expected to be very helpful to British manufacturers in this market, and to cause a considerable amount of additional skilled labor to bo employed in New Zealand.

“Generally speaking, importers of United Kingdom cars are very pleased in that they can now proceed to make plans for the' assembly of cars here, which it was impossible for them to do before this announcement with the prospect of bodies having to be imported m pieces as from September 1 next,” said Mr Hawley. “One of the main advantages of the assembly business as it will- develop now is that it does not involve centralisation and that unassembled''cars can now be imported into all of the main centres just as complete cars have been imported in the past, -which will result in the additional employment that will be created being spread throughout Mew Zealand instead of being concentrated at one point. “In my opinion the leading United Kingdom motor manufacturers can and will comply with the unassembled and completely* knockod-down requirements just announced, whereas owing to certain manufacturing difficulties, peculiar to the business, it would be impossible for them to comply with the preyious equirements. “It is anticipated that savings in freight will be effected bv packing wheels, mudguards, certain chassis parts and even engines inside the body thus saving a considerable amount of freight space. MUCH LABOR IX ASSEMBLY “A tremendous amount of labor is - required in the completion of a- car from its unassembled chassis and body-shell form. Every chassis will, of course, have to be completely assembled, and | each body completely painted, uphol- r , -itered, trimmed and mounted on the j‘ chassis. Most of this ivork requires J skilled labor of the highest order, and- * no doubt it will be paid for at the rut- £ ing award rates. The completed cars * have to be tuned up, tested, and made. ‘. ready for delivery to buyers. J “The decision of the Government to i admit metal panels for the manufacture J ■jf all-steel cabs for commercial trucks » and delivery vans also will assist'United * Kingdom manufacturers considerably, as J (hero is a good deal of activity by manu--™ factum's at Home in the development of light delivery vehicles complete with cabs at very low prices. “Summing up. the position a$ I can see it on the information to hand is that the arrangements will prove very helpful to United Kingdom motor-car manufacturers in their efforts to retain a fair volume of business fyqrq the Xew Zealand npirjvct-,”