COMMER DODGE
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1. Expanding road transport market yes. Several factors indicate this will happen, almost certainly at a rate exceeding the growth experienced in the Sixties. One is entitled to anticipate that increased trade will follow as the larger EEC market is exploited by member countries, and this alone will call for a strengthened road transport set-up. It is also beyond doubt that technological developments — of transport and the road system itself — will ease inter-community transport problems and progressively facilitate the movement of goods by road, both for long and short distances.
Allied to these factors must be the belief that economic growth among the member countries will be at least as fast as during the past decade.
2. Chrysler United Kingdom is particularly strong in the medium segment of the market, with a good and increasing coverage of the other segments. We expect a particularly receptive market for our products in France and Benelux, and — initially, at least — our main effort will be concentrated there.
3. We certainly expect to see further rationalization within Europe, but "drastic"? Let me explain the situation as we see it — the commercial vehicle market is composed of many sub-markets and recent experience shows that for a company to prosper it must offer products in quite a few of these markets. This would lead one to anticipate that more mergers and co-operative agreements will take place, but not on a "'drastic" level.
4. Regardless of what final decision may be taken on gross vehicle weights and axle limits, I feel I ,must state that action should be taken quickly and in concert to resolve the whole `question of commercial vehicle legislation.
e would be very happy to make whatever dontribution is necessary because we believe that the sooner governments make up their minds on such things as axle loads and maximum vehicle' weights, the more actively the European motor industry can pursue the task of producing the units prescribed.
5. You are projecting ahead for a substantial period, during which a great many developments could take place. Among the important -advances we expect to be made during this period are the development of the gas turbine engines for trucks, particularly inter-city trucks where the characteristics of the turbine Would be most suitable; a more sophisticated development of materials handling, especially containerization; and a considerable extension throughout the EEC countries of the motorway system