CARS IN THE BOOM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18900, 30 December 1935, Page 6

CARS IN THE BOOM

REGISTRATIONS HIGHER BTG GAIN FOR DECEMBER USED MACHINES SOUGHT Sales of motor vehicles in Gisborne for the year of 1935, with, two days' returns still to be made up, are well ahead of those of 1934, and the interesting feature of the market is the decided fillip given to the figures by sales during the quarter now drawing to a close. Transfers of ownership registered at the Chief Post Office, Gisborne, indicate what amounts to a real boom in the demand for used machines, and traders must have experienced a most satisfactory quarter in this district at least. For December, 1935, registrations of new cars in Gisborne totalled 38 up to Saturday evening, as against 33 for the whole month in 1934. Light motor: lorries held their own with a total of three for the month, and though sales of heavy lorries were only five as against seven for the same month last year, and trailers also showed a slight falling off for the month, both divisions were well ahead on the year, by comparison with the figures for 1934. Motor-cycles sold in December have numbered eight as against two for December, 1934. but the year’s figures show a slight decrease, due probably to the competition of light cars in what was formerly almost- purely the motor-cycles’ field. A total of 59 sales of all classes of motor vehicles were effected in the Gisborne district up to Saturday evening for December, as against 53 for the same mqtith last year. The number of motor-vehicles licensed or re-licensed for the two past years furnishes an interesting comparison in many respects. Cars licensed for 1935. for instance, show an increase of 199 on the figure for the previous year. Only in three divisions is a decrease shown by the figures for the year now drawing to a close, and the total for the years 1935 and 1934 favor the current year by a substantial margin. The comparison is tabulated below :

Description 1935 1934 Private cars 2296' 2097 Light lorries 215 225 Heavy lorries 252 225 Composite vehicles 17 10 Public bodies’ cars 15 15 Taxi-cars ... , 18 18 Service cars 20 23 Trailers •45 33 Demonstration cars 25 19 Local bodies’ trucks, etc. 12 10 Government cars ... 35 38 Demonstration m’cycles ... 3 2 Private motor-cycles 290 302 Total licenses ....... 3243 3017