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27th April 1962, Page 34
27th April 1962
Page 34
Page 34, 27th April 1962 — U.S.
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Vehicle Sales are Leaping

THE economic barometer of, com mercial vehicle sales in the U.S. is set fair. More vehicles are being sold and, after a mediocre 1961, the motor trade is predicting that this year's sales will be the best since the Korean war was responsible for a lorry-selling boom in 1950.

The manufacturers expect to sell 1.1 m. commercial vehicles this year—a 20 per cent. increase over 1961. Their optimism is based on high current sales.

Sales are up for every type of vehicle, from light vans to heavy-duty, 12-ton lorries. The busiest market, however, is in the light "economy vehicle" field. Ford's Econoline is accounting for 10 per cent of that company's sales, while International Harvester announce that their new all-purpose utility vehicle, the Scout, is selling well in excess of anticipations.

At the beginning of last month Ford's Louisville assembly plant reported a backlog of orders for heavy vehicles of 2,600 units in the £4,00045,000 price range. The White Motor Co.• also announced heavy lorry orders worth £21m. on hand.

Sales of Dodge vehicles in the first two months of this year totalled 17,342 units —almost double the comparable 1961 figures.

Production has risen to keep pace with • the increased demand. The first quarter's figures show that the General Motors Corp. produced 125,112 vehicles; the Ford Motor Co., 89,511; and Chrysler Corp., 25,324—compared with 95,667 units, 81,198 and 15,226 respectively in the corresponding period of last year. Total output by the U.S. "Big Five" of cars and lorries in the first three months of this year was 2,009,339 units—a 45.4 per cent. increase over the corresponding period of 1961.

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