WORLD MOTOR CENSUS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18554, 29 April 1930, Page 12

WORLD MOTOR CENSUS

AMERICA LEADS THE WAY. The world use of automobiles has increased to nearly 35,000.000. The exact total, in operation on January 1, 1930, was 34.879,323 cars, truc’u, buses, and 2.565,889 motor cycles. Throughout all territories one new automobile was added to circulation during the year for each ten previously in use, the increase having been 3,027.533 automobiles, or almost 10 per cent. This information is taken from the 1930 World Motor Census, which, compiled and published by “The American Automobile” (overseas edition), is complete for more than 125 countries and major political territories of Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Western Hemisphere. The census is made annually from reports to the international motor magazine, many of them by cable and radio, from the various territories, and brings registration and similar information up to the first of this year. Air mail was utilised for the first time in the 1930 census, the reports covering the four South American countries of Uruguay, Argentine, Paraguay and Chile having come to the magazine from its correspondents in those countries by the recently organised airplane services, with a saving of more than a week as compared to regular mail.

Striking increases in automobile usage •were made in all parts of the world through 1929, not only in the United States but in other sections as well, many of which, such as Argentine, New Zealand, South Africa. Chile and parts of Europe and the Far East, enjoyed the most prosperous motor sales of their history. The number of automobiles in countries other than the United States, increased by almost one million automobiles in 1929 to the record total of 8,314,644 cars, trucks and buses. Six years ago, it is shown the United States had nearly seven automobiles for each one in use in all other countries. So rapid, however, has been the enlargement of motor use elsewhere that the 1930 ratio has been decreased to approximately three to one. Motor utilisation in all countries has increased more than four-fold since 1922, when the first of the annual world motor surveys was made. Four countries now have more than one million automobiles each. These are the United States, Great Britain, France and Canada. In fifth place is Germany, with 609,030 automobiles. Australia is sixth with 570,000 cars, trucks and buses, followed by Argentina with 358,625 automobiles, and Italy is eighth with 230,509 motor vehicles. Eight other countries have more than 100,000 automobiles each, Brazil, Spain, New Zealand, India, Sweden, the Union of South Africa, Belgium and Denmark. The latter country, during 1929, passed the 100,000 mark, and so close to that are Holland and Japan that they may be expected to equal or exceed the figure in early 1930.

Completely detailed statements as to productions of motor vehicles are lacking from all parts of Europe but the magazine estimates that 585,985, cars and trucks were manufactured in Europe last year. Great Britain was the leading producer with 232,000 cars and trucks, followed' by France with 175,000, Germany with 70,500, Italy with 67,900 ar\t Czechoslovakia with 15,000. Other European producers were Austria 9300, Belgium 7700, Denmark 120, Hungary 670, Spain 400, Sweden 1850, Switzerland 1275, U.S.S.R. (Russia) 200 and miscellaneous 1000. These do not include automobiles assembled in these countries by American branch plants. Sales of motor vehicles in Europe last year were the largest ever reached. Cars in Iceland.

The census for 1930 disputes, incidentally, a statement that appeared in recent dispatches from one of the European capitals that about 20 automobiles were owned in Reykjavik, Iceland. The census shows that, instead of having only a few automobiles, Iceland in reality has 412 passenger cars, 634 trucks, 17 ’buses, and 86 motor-cycles in present operation, more than half of them being owned outside of the capital city. Among the smaller territories seldom thought of as being motor centres, are Ethiopia, with 568 automobiles, Fiji Islands with 1088 automobiles, Mauritius with 3300 units, Turkestan with 74 automobiles, Cook Islands, in the South Pacific, with 114 cars and trucks, and Martinique with 1650 motor vehicles. The automobile, states the magazine, has become world-wide in its use, and cars, trucks or ’buses are serving the populations of every clime. The United States, of course, remains the leading automotive centre and the per capita ownership in this country is the highest of any nation. But such sections of the world as New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Australia are pressing close behind. Both New Zealand and Canada have one automobile to each seven inhabitants as compared with about one automobile to each five inhabitants in the United States. In several sections of Equatorial Africa, there is one car or truck to each 2i of the white population, as trucks are being used extensively in these areas for produce haulage, being driven by native operators, but owned by European commercial interests, plantations and mines. The census likewise shows that heavy increases in truck buying were made in neary every territory last year. Because of high taxation, or other factors, private ownership of passenger cars is limited in many overseas territories, and the mqtor transport must therefore be supplied by 'buses. Striking advances have been made in the opening of inter-village 'bus and truck services in many sections of the world, particularly in the Far East, in Southeastern Europe and throughout Latin America. Improvement of highways and the opening of new roads are noteworthy aids in pushing the world motorisation programme.