RUNNING EXPENSES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1030, 22 July 1930, Page 6

RUNNING EXPENSES

WHAT A CAR COSTS ACTUAL EXAMPLES Judge Crawford, of an English, county court, stirred up a hornets’ nest a few ye»ars ago by bis absurd statement that nobody in receipt of less than £1,500 a year could afford to own a motor-car. There are thousands of New Zealand motorists receiving only a third of this sum, and they are managing very comfortably. The financial capacity to enter the ranks of motorists does not end or begin at any figure, and everything depends on one’s own ideas. “The running cost of a car’’ and the “cost of running a car’’ are not synonymous terms, and on a mileage basis the latter expense may be three or four times the former. It is common to hear it said that even in New Zealand a motor-car can be oxierated to show a saving on tram fares. While there are a number of light, cars operating in Auckland on a running cost of under a penny a mile, the true cost of motoring under ideal conditions must come to double that sum.

Vague ideas are held regarding car ownership, and very few drivers are aware of the details of their simple running costs. Fewer still have accurate notions concerning the car as an investment. Many people, but few motorists, believe that a car can be run at an absurdly low figure, and there are quite a number of nonmotorists who are under the impression that the purchase and operation of a car is so ruinously expensive that they feel they can never hope to enter the charmed circle of motorists. THE ACTUAL COST

Within reasonable limits, the cost a mile decreases as the mileage piles up. The motorist who covers only 2,500 miles a year has a comparatively small total over which to spread his standing charges. Following is an example of minimum cost motoring with the small class of seven or nine h.p. car. assuming 10,000

miles for the year at 40 miles per gallon of first grade petrol at 2s a gallon and using oil at 7s 6d a gallon:

The above figures show that the over-all cost of running the smallest type of car is below 2£d mile, or less than £1 18s for a weekly average of nearly 200 miles. A careful driver might improve the figures to the extent of 45 miles per gallon of petrol and 12,000 miles per set of tyres, items which together represent a saving of about £5. Tyre prices are, however, taken at £2 each, which is a pretty fair price for a good make. The list price of the small balloon tyres for this class of car is. of course, more. GARAGE COSTS In the event of a garage not being available, the motorist may pay from 5s to 10s a week to house his car. Some public garages in Auckland charge 6s 6d a week. Taking the charge at ss, the annual cost will be increased by over £l2. On the basis of 10,000 miles a year this increases the cost by 0.29 d a mile and brings the aggregate slightly over 2Jd a mile. If a garage is built on the premises for the new car the investment will mean the loss of interest on perhaps £3O to £SO. In any case this will add only £2 or £3 a year to the standing charges. If only 5,000 miles are covered in the year the overall charge is naturally not a mere half of what is incurred in 10,000 miles running. For the lesser mileage the petrol would be £l2 10s and £1 might cover oil. The tyres would be only half worn and this would be equivalent to £4 3s for a half set. Repairs and adjustments, licencing, and insurance would not be affected, so that instead of £47 16s, the annual cost for half the mileage would be about £3O 5s 6d. This is an average of 1.45 d a mile. The standing charges spread over 5,000 miles become 2.40 d. so that the total is raised to 3.85 d, as compared with 2.35 d for the greater mileage. In the second year there are naturally differences. The registration fee of £1 does not recur and the insurance may be 10s or 15s less. The depreciation will be 20 per cent, on £l6O or £32 instead of £4O. The figures are open to great variation from the illustration as even experts differ on the quest.on of the depreciation rate. The general fact appears that the cost of motoring decreases as the mileage increases, some experts holding that most economical running is obtained at about 15,000 a year. ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Following is an example of costs relating to tbe popular 12 h.p. to 14 h.p. class of car, costing about £350, and covering about 2S miles a gallon:—'

also in most respects to the light sixcylinder 18-20 h.p. class of car in the £3OO-400 range which constitutes such a large proportion of the demand in New Zealand. The extra power has to be paid for in an increase in petrol consumption to perhaps 20 to 23 miles a gallon and insurance for the higher h.p. would be about £1 more. In some cases the tyres are a few shillings dearer. In general the running cost of a light six over 10,000 miles would show an increase bf from about Id to Id a mile on the example of a 12-14 h.p. car. DESERT SHEIKH BUYS CAR A Hillman straight eight saloon has recently been supplied to SheikH Hamid Ben Esa of Alkhalifa, Ruler of Behrein in the Persian Gulf. The car is fitted with a “Purdah” curtain to conform with the principles of the Mohammedan religion when women use the car. Other fittings include a spot light and a scimitar painted on each door in the place of a crest. As a further instance of British penetration it is pleasing to announce that in Portugal a Hillman straight eight was recently awarded the first prize in its particular class at the Lisbon Elegance test in which very many makes of cars competed. Incidentally. the car was driven by an English woman and was loudly applauded throughout the route. HILL CLIMB RESULTS Cabled advice has been received by the Shell Company from London that the Shelsley Walsh hill climb on July 12, which is run up a 1,000 yards gradient of 1 in 9, was won by Von Stuck in an Austro-Daimler, creating a. record for the course in 42 4-5 seconds. Caracciola, in a Mercedes, was third in 46 4-5 seconds. The President’s Cup for the best performance by a British car was awarded to Hall in a 4s-litre Bentley.

DIRECT CHARGES £ iS d Potrol, 2o0 gals 0 0 Oil, 5 gals l 17 6 Tyres, 4 renewals and repairs X 0 Repairs 0 (t Registration 0 Car licence and numbers . . 6 Driving licence Insurance 4 5 0 Total for year 47 10 0 Cost per week of 192 miles Average per mile STANDING CHARGES 18 1.15 ! £ s d Interest on £200 at 5 per cen t 10 0 0 Depreciation, 20 per cent. . . 40 0 0 50 0 0 Per week Average per mile Total cost per mile 19 1.20 2.35

DIRECT CHARGES 5,000 Petrol /s % *0 Oil 2 0 0 Repairs • r> 0 0 Licences, etc ?> 7 (\ Insurance 7 o 0 10,000 miles. £ s d 36 0 0 4 0 0 14 2 0 3 0 0 0 3 7 6 7 0 0 41! S G. 74 9 G Average per mile 2.04 3.79 STANDING CHARGES £ s cl Interest 17 10 0 Depreciation .. .. 70 0 0 £ 17 70 s d 10 0 0 0 87 10 0 S7 10 0 Average per mile 4.20 Total cost per mile G.24 2.10 3.89 The above figures are applicable