Export Peak Again
Page 58
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A LTHOLiGH the exports of new cornmercial vehicles reached an all-time high level of 14,929 units last November, this figure was exceeded in the following month when Great Britain exported a total of 15,046 vehicles which represented a value of over £12m. This brought the total for the year to 154,987, valued at £114,130,284, which well exceeds the 1959 total of 128,069 units.
Totals of commercial vehicles sent to leading markets last year, with 1959 figures in parentheses, are as follows: Australia remained as this country's best market, taking 20,437 (14,914) to a value of £12,3m., and South Africa took second place, having bought 7,602 (8,691) vehicles to a value of £5.5m. Then came Denmark 7,508 (8,721) at £4m.; Finland 4,120 (4,594) at £3.9m.; Ghana 3,515 (3,015) at £3.9m.; New Zealand 7,716 (6,386) at £3.6m; Nigeria 5,196 (5,003) at £3.6m.
In the first 11 months of last year, British imports of new commercial vehicles were: France 93; U.S.A. 31; Western Germany 2,476; Italy 4; and other countries 45. A total of 2,904 units were imported during 1960 to the value of £1.4m.
Compared with 370,484 vehicles made in 1959, the 1960 figure of 457,972 indicates a much higher demand from the home market. Last year's production is detailed in tabular form on this page, together with export statistics.
Production in 1959 comprised 353,105 goods vehicles, tractors and special types. Of these 185,029 were of up to 15 cwt carrying capacity; 68,580 of 15 cwt.3 tons; 50,589 of 3-6 tons; and 48,907 over 6 tons. In the passenger-vehicle category, the output of double-deck motorbuses rose from 1,990 in 1959 to 2,210 last year, whilst trolleybus production slumped from 69 to 12. The number of single-deckers rose by 1,506 to 16,826, but this figure is loaded with 8-I4-seat light buses, many of which are registered as private cars. In fact, only 384 8-14-seaters were newly registered as hackneys in the first 11 months of 1960.