CO129-581-16 British propaganda in Hong Kong 18-4-1939 - 29-10-1939 — Page 51

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British Motor Industry.

The United Kingdom is today the

second largest user of motor vehicles in the world, and the

industry employs over 1,385,000 men in this country. The

importance of its position as a contributor to the national

revenue may be gauged from the fact that the revenue yielded

by vehicle duties in the financial year ended on the 31st of March

last was £35,603,000, or £1 millions more than in the previous

year, while receipts from the fuel tax in the same period amounted

to no less than £51,000,000, or nearly 37 millions more than in

the year to March, 1938. A comparison between the years 1938

and 1939 shows that the consumption of motor-spirit increased by

3 per cent, and that of heavy oil by as much as 23 per cent. The

rise in the latter category is accounted for by the fact that the

British-built Diesel engine is being constantly perfected and is

coming into greater favour every year.

The small British car of 10 horse-power or less is world-

famed, and in Great Britain itself over 60 per cent of new vehicles

registered are of this type. The average life of British cars

compares very favorably with that of cars of foreign make, and

expert calculation puts the life of a British care at 8 years in

this country. As regards export trade, shipments of British motor

vehicles continue to be satisfactory. Seven per cent of all the

vehicles in use in the world are of British manufacture and British

exports average 100,000 cars per annum. Meanwhile the prosperity

of the country is reflected in the fact that there were 54.5

vehicles per 1,000 persons in the United Kingdom in 1938, this

being an increase of 3.3 vehicles over 1937.