Car Allocations For 1949 Confirm Agents' Fears Of Another Bleak Year

Chronicle (Levin), 22 January 1949, Page 4

Car Allocations For 1949 Confirm Agents' Fears Of Another Bleak Year

Local agents for the motor vehicle trade are looking somewhat askance at the prospects- for new car consignments for 1949. The allocations from the head offices of the various companies are beginning to arrive. They do not make bright reading^ . , Near the' end of last year it was feared that there would be a big drop in the number of cars allowed into the Dominion and, from the indications to date, the fears have materialised. It is understood that there is a 40 per cent cut in importations this* year.

One agent who is the sole distributor of a particular make of car for the Horowhenua, including Foxton and Paekakariki, has been allocated 15 vehicles for the year. The same position exists at all other agencies visited by a "Chronicle" reporter. *They all say that they are looking to their other fields of activity to keep them going, as -there appears t'o be little chance of making a living out of the sale of new cars. "Our allocations do not touch the fringe of our requirements," said one agent. "There is not even a hope of supplying those professipnal persons classified as essential users of motor vehicles," he added. He has 40 on his waiting list. • Both he and others inter viewed had quite a lot to say about the Minister of Customs, Mr. Nash, who determines the total value of vehicles brought into New Zealand and individual licences. It was not at all complimentary. On the present ratio it would take 10 years to supply the immediate needs locally for his; particular make of car, said an agent, even without the regUlar replacements. Referring to commercial vehicles, he said: that* the Minister had indicated last year that they would be in ' more plentiful supply this year,. but a letter whic|i he hadj

just reeeived that morning gave a much different picture. The latter, wnich was from his head office in Wellington, stated that under a decision by the Controller of Customs, no completely built-up commercial vehicles or vans could be imported into New Zealand. This meant that instead of being better, the position in regard to these vehicles would be worse than ever, said the agenfc. People who placed orders for t'hese types of vehicles l'ast year would now not be able to expect delivery for some time, as many. months would elapse before the parts would be reeeived, assembleTi here and delivered. Returning to the subject of cars^ . an agent said that the New Zear land Government allowed only 10,000 cars to be imported in 1948. Britain alone could and was only too willing to supply 20,000. The estimated demand in New Zealand was in the vicinity of 50,000, hut efforts by tradesmen importing from Britain to have the quota increased had failed, and instead it was being decreased. An interesting fact about cars iS that of all those on the roads at September 30, 1947, 15,238 (or 7.3 ner cent) were under fiye years old, 85,893' (or 40.9 'per cent.) were between five and 10 years old) and 52,142 (or 26.7 per cent.) were between 11' and -15 years old and 52,754 (25.1 per cent.) were over 15. [years old. • ,