- Plans for French Motor Industry A CERTAIN amount of information has
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been published in France concerning projects to remedy the serious transport crisis there, also as regards the manufacture of commercial vehicles.
A number of industries has been nationalized, amongst these being the coal pits of the Nord and Pas-de-Calais, which have specialized ill the production of mineral fuel for gas producers. The Renault business has been placed under an administrative board, the appointment and functions of which are being settled by Ministerial decree, although it appears that the accounts will, in some way, be commercialized.
At present the Renault factories employ 15,000 people and several thousand outworkers; most of the factories suffering from war damage have been repaired. Existing stocks allow the production of lorries and spare parts, although the dearth of coal and of certain raw materials is beginning to be felt. Since the liberation of France 1,150 Renault lorries have been built. At first they were coming from the assembly lines at the rate of 40 per month. This has now been reduced to 30, some of which, however, have to be stored for want of tyres. The rate of pay for workers is 20 francs per hour. The motor industry will concentrate more particularly on commercial vehicles, and it is hoped to build 50,000 lorries this year, whilst only 16,000 cars are in the programme: It is expected that in 1946 the materials used in vehicle production will equal the prewar tonnage. The number of models is being drastically reduced. Before the war the figure was 169, presumably, including private _cars. This will be reduced to about 15, and their manufacture will be concentrated in a certain, number of factories, the vehicles being more or less standardized. Each maker may be allowed to produce several models, but a similar vehicle will be produced simultaneously in several factories.
Apart from Renault and Citroft .
the biggest makers—who will work separately, there will be a large group known as the Generale Francaise Automobile, which will include Unic, Latil, Bernard, Simca, Willeme, Panhard and Somua. Then there will be another group under Peugeot comprising Hotchkiss, Saurer and Laffiy. Berliet and Rochet Schneider will link their works at Lyons, and so the 48 makers will probably become 15.