U.K. Now World's Biggest Exporter
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Output Increased by 261 Per Cent. and Exports by 75 Per Cent. in Three Years
AST year, all records for the production and export of British come
mercial vehicles were broken, and by the end of 1949. the monthly " rate of shipment was greater than that of any other country in the world. Output increased by 26l per cent. between 1947 and 1948. During the same period exports rose both in number and value by about 75 per cent.
Last year's production of 218,375 units compared with 177,169 in 1948 and 157,945 in 1947. Including industrial trucks, road haulage tractors and trailers, the number of units shipped rose from 58,375 in 1947 to 83,313 in 1948, and 102,079 in 1949. The value of exports likewise increased from £25,408,923 in 1947 to £38,983,141 in 1948 to £44,377,114 in 1949.
Figures issued last week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that the output of alt types of commercial vehicle, other than hattery-electrics, increased between 1948 and 1949. As the following table shows, the rise in the production of light vehicles was remarkable. although the output of battery-electrics was nearly halved: Of the 218,375 vehicles built in 1949, 106.808 were for export and 111,567 for the home market. December's contribution was 21,884 vehicles, of which 11,858 were for export and 10,026 for home users. The average weekly output in December was 4.377 units.
Because currency difficulties restricted overseas sales, the production of agricultural tractors, excludingb market-garden models, dropped from 117,673 in 1948 to 90,411 last year.
Of the 5,227 works trucks built last year, 1.496 were for export and 3.73.1 for the home market. Fork-lift trucks accounted for 1,492, and others. including pedestrian-controlled models, for 3.735 of the total.
The S.M.M.T. attributes the commercial vehicle industry's achievements " primarily to the magnificent efforts of the steel industry."
The British Commonwealth and Empireand the Irish Republic took 55.1 per cent, in value of complete corn. mercial vehicles exported. and 71.9 per cent, in value of chassis.
In order of importance, the United Kingdom's best markets for commercial vehicles were Australia, South Africa, British West Africa, India, British East Africa, New Zealand. Iran, Brazil, Belgium and the Irish Republic. Australia was by far the biggest customer, having spent £9,697,401 on commercial vehicles. South Africa's expenditure was £2.767,019. Australia almost doubled its purchases, compared with 1948, whereas South Africa reduced its expenditure.
In addition to the new vehicles shown in the accompanying table, 2,934 used commercial vehicles, valued at £1,282,050, were exported last year. Including horticultural types, 103.423 agricultural tractors, valued at £20.455,018 were also shipped.
The total value of the motor industry's overseas sales, including private cars, parts and accessories, was last year more than £170.000.000. compared with £146,000,000 in 1948,
LATEST MOVE TOWARDS STANDARDIZATION
A /TAKERS of vehicles and cornIVIponents are co-operating well with the technical committee of the heavy vehicle manufacturers' section of :.111..1 Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, in an investigation of the possibilities of standardization and simplification, with the object of increasing
production and _reducing costs: The committee is dealing first with electrical equipment. It will later consider other components.
Major-General J. S. Crawford, chairman of the committee and a director of Guy Motors, Ltd., gave this information after the committee held its first meeting in Wolverhampton last week, Major-General Crawford led the British team which last year visited America to study standardization in the engineering industry. The S.M.-M.T. committee's work was not, however, inspired by the visit to the U.S.A.