Evening star., 1922-06-11
MOTORS COMPETE
LITTLE IN EXPORTS
Europe Takes Autos, While
Motor Cycles Go to Far East
and Nearby Places.

Both motor cycles and passenger
cars exported from the United States
are contributing a large share to the
worldwide reputation of American
products. says NJ. II. Hoepli. assist
ant chief of the automotive division
of the Department of Commerce, in
special report appearing in the forth
coming issue of Commerce Reports.
Frequently. they are being considered
as competing with one another. The
trend of their exports indicates that
II such competition exists. neither OF
the two automotive products mas lost
out. they both have been success
full in conquering foreign markets.
Their distribution abroad shows that
the extent of such competition is
limited. The unit values Of their
foreign shipments, however. may be
a danger signal. The cost of the in
creasing number of low priced pas
senger cars is close to the average
value of motor cycle exports.
The export business in motor cycles
Is less stable than the passenger
car trade. in so far s monthly ship
ments of motor cycles are in the
course of one year subject to greater
fuctuation than those of automo-
biles. The average variation Tor
motor cycles, not counting 1914.
amounts to between 400 per cent and
500 per cent. as compared TO between
200 per cent and 800 per cent Tor
pa ssenger cars. The biggest ship
ments of both products are being
made in the period between March
and June while from August until
November. especially during the later
part of the period. exports of motor
cycles usually run low.
BoOm Follows Slack Years.
The upward movement in foreign
shipments of both products was part
ly interrupted in 1914, 1917, 1918 ana
1921, all of which were either proceed
ed or followed by boom years with
correspondingly greater exports. Ihe
number of motor cycles exported IN
creased about nine times in lsZo anu
nearly three times in 1921. as com
pared with 1913, while passenger car
exports were not quite six times big.
ger in 1920, and exceeded the 1918
number only slightly in 1921.
The chief countries of destir alton
of motor cycles in 1921 were different
from those of passenger cars, the lat
ter being shipped largely TO terri
tories adjacent to the United states
and to tho far east, while the bulk or
the motor cycle shipment went to Eu-
ropeau countries, which favor motor
vehicles of this type and admit the
higher quality of the American mo-
tOf cSCit. ne stti Hc'F ''Se -,
yet promise any radical changes in
the markets.
Export shipments of motor cycles
increased steadily in value since 1919
and reached in 1921 their maximum
which was more than one and one
half times as high as the 1913 value.
Nearer Balance in 1922.
A comparison OF the motor cycle and
passenger car unit values shows that
in 1922 the difference between the two
is considerably smaller than In any
years since 1917. This may be ac-
counted for by larger shipments or
high-priced motor cycles and low
priced passenger cars, as well as by
more drastic price reductions in the
motor car line.
In view of the downward readjust
ment of motor cycle unit values
(while in March. 1922. an upward re-
vision in the passenger car unit val
ues took place. and as the chief mar
kets for the two aut!rotove products
are not identical. no serious competi-
ton between the two is likely In the
near future.