WHEN EUROPE WAKES UP

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 752, 27 August 1929, Page 6

WHEN EUROPE WAKES UP

CAR SALES HAVE BEEN LOW A FORECAST No one who has followed the amazing development of the automobile over the past few years in the United States, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and many parts of Africa and Asia, can fail to be impressed by the frankly stated fact that Europe is now the world’s greatest automotive vacuum. In other words, motor transportation is less developed in Europe than in these other sections of the world with regard to population, wealth, and other controlling factors. Thus the “American Automobile” iu an article on the motorisation of Europe. Ten years have elapsed since the Great War, it continues, and in that decade the motorisation of Europe necessarily had to lag, while political, economic and industrial problems arising out of the conflict were pushed to settlement, or on their way to solution. Relatively speaking, but few automobiles have been built and sold in Europe during these 10 years, to the 300 millions of inhabitants, who yet await the quickening effect upon their daily lives of motor transportation. But expansion is under way. GERMANY'S SMALL FLEET Germany, as an example, has today but a half million automobiles to serve a population of some 65 to 70 millions. To be on a parity with France, in the ratio of automobiles to inhabitants, a million more automobiles would be required immediately and there is no reason to doubt that Germany will need, within a comparatively short time, from a quarter million to a half million new cars and trucks each and every year. France will require as many more. The requirements of other nations will be equally stupendous, varying as to population and wealth, but cer tainly far greater than anything we have yet seen. GREAT ROAD RACE Further advice of the world’s greatest road race, the Royal Automobile Club’s International q’ourlst Trophy, held at Ulster, Ireland, on the 17tli inst., has been received by the Shell Company of New Zealand, Ltd. This race was for fully equipped standard sports touring cars, which were required to cover a circuit of 131 miles 30 times, and competent authorities state that the course was the most difficult road course in the world. Truly the race has been described as a motor epic, and the giant was Carriciola, who drove a Meeedes Benz to victory at. the staggering average speed of 72.8 miles an hour, followed closely by Campari (Alfa Romeo), with an average speed of 67.5 miles an hour. The class winners for this event were: F. Campari, Alfa Romeo. E. Headlam, Alfa Romeo. C. Birkin, Bentley. Carriciola, Mercedes Benz. The team race was won by Alfa Romeo with drivers Carriciola, Marioni and Ivanowski. It is significant that all the above used both Shell oil and Shell motor spirit, and this is the fifth great endurance race during 1929 which has been won on’ Shell products.