MORE BRITISH CARS

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 19

MORE BRITISH CARS

Growth of Industry

EXPORTS TO EMPIRE MARKETS

A big increase in domestic and export sales of motor vehicles manufactured in Great Britain is recorded in the annual handbook of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Ltd.

This extraordinarily complete compilation of facts and figures shows that the motor industry is now one of Britain’s biggest. It gives employment to 1,250,000 persons, and in 1936 the sales of new vehicles in the home market went up by 44,400 units, and the value of new and second-hand vehicles exported showed an increase of nearly £2,000,000. During 1936, the real benefit of the reduction in the horse-power tax from £1 to 15/-, which took effect as from January 1, 1935, was felt. The sales of the larger types of vehicles, 17 horsepower and more, which represented 9.4 per cent, of the total in 1934, rose to 12.3 per cent, in 1935, and 12.41 per cent, in 1936. In the year ended September 1936, Great Britain manufactured 353,743 private cars and 107,609 commercial vehicles, a total of 461,352. For 1935, the corresponding figures were 311,544 cars, 92,176 commercial vehicles, total 403,720. The year 1934 provides one of the best basis for comparison, the figures being 256,866 cars, 85,633 commercial vehicles, and 342,499 total. Thus in two years, the British motor industry, small by comparison with that of the United States, has increased its output by nearly 120,000 units, a tremendous jump. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS In the year ended December 1936, Great Britain imported from various countries 11,458 complete cars, 800 private car chasis, 302 complete commercial vehicles, and 2438 chassis, to a total value of £2,507,535. Of these, vehicles to a value of £34,936 were re-exported. Exports of new vehicles manufactured in the United Kingdom in the year 1936 totalled 64,800 passenger cars and 16,900 commercial vehicles, commercial vehicles in 1935. The value of all motor vehicles and parts exported in 1936 was £17,400,000, and in 1935 £15,800,000. The manner in which the British motor industry is making strong headway in the Empire markets is shown in the following table, which gives the total number of motor vehicles exported to these countries during 1935 and 1936, and the United Kingdom’s share of these:

PERCENTAGE SHARE The United Kingdom’s percentage share of these imports for these two

Total No. No. from U.K. 1935 1936 1935 1936 New Zealand 20,845 29,651 10,586 16,309 Australia 61,729 72,760 12,831 16,483 South Africa 48,088 57,791 7,700 7.311 British India 21,572 20,873 8,200 7.132 Ceylon 3,306 2,485 2,256 1,857

years was as follows: 1935 1936 New Zealand 50.8 55.0 Australia 20.8 22.7 South Africa 16.0 12.7 British India 38.0 34.2 Ceylon 68.2 74.7