Evening star., 1947-07-27
Britain Plans
Bigger Autos
Industry Wants to Please
Public and Compete
With L. S., Too
By William MeGoffin


By William Me6offin
COVENTRY, England. - Foreign
Secretary Bevin once complained
that he needed a shoe-horn to get
into his "miserably designed" little
British car.
Other Englishmen of much more
modest girth have had their troubles,
too. But, for SIS per cent Of the
motoring public, it was this or
nothing at all. They could not
afford "man-sized" cars.
The big news in England these
days Is the automobile license re-
form recently passed by the govern
ment. 1t aims to promote man-sized
cars for little or no more money
than the babies. The idea Is to
compete with American cars for
overseas markets and bring in much
needed foreign currency. The long
suffering British public will even
tually get It's share, too, If 1t
works out
Will Help Sales
The idea Of the governments IL
cense tax reform. which goes into
effect January l. is to get volume
up through sales abroad of car
that would be equally popular at
home. Beginning January /, fiat
rate of $40 per new car will go into
effect. The driver of the Rolls Royce
will pay the same for his annual
license as the man who runs baby
Austin. (To salvage part of the
revenue lost with the abolition OF
the old tax, the sales tax on new
cars priced at $4,000 and up is to
be doubled to 66225 per cent. Thus,
the sales tax on a car costing $4,000
will be $4,000
Here in Coventry I have toured
the Standard factory, which escaped
the terrible bomb damage that has
SCARED the city for years to come.
The Standard people showed me
new car they have just brought out
which has created a sensation. 1t is
q terrific contrast to the 1899 models
made by other factories since the
war.
The new Standard will not COM
pete nose -on" with American cars.
It Is en "in-between" model, repre-
senting a compromise between the
baby car and the American size. 1t
has a four-cylinder engine giving
65 brake horsepower with a maxi
mum speed of rs miles an hour. 1t
Is more economical than the Amer
lean car, doing about 81 miles to the
United States gallon. There is not
as much leg room as in the Ameri-
can car-the wheelbase is feet 10
inches and the overall length 13
feet 8 inches. 1t is a lighter car,
weighing 2,100 pounds. But it is 5
feet inches wide and will carry six
passengers comfortably. 1t has good
stream lines. following the latest
American modes and such refine
ments as radio and a steering col
umn gearshift, usually restricted to
the most expensive British cars.
Room for Improvement
There is plenty of room for I'M
provement in the price and size of
British cars. A British baby" car
costs as much in England as one
of the big three light" cars in
America. A Morris 8, two door saloon
(sedan) sells for sl,080-not count
ing 1903 sales tax which brings
the total price to 1888.
. England's cheapest car is made
by the British branch of Ford. But
even Ford has been unable to get
the price below ssl6 baby model
which with sales tax added comes
to $1,17345. -,
BY American standards, the Brit
ish small car Is very small. It will
carry only four passengers. is 40
per cent narrower, 40 per. cent
lighter, and has 80 per cent shorter
wheel base than Americas big three
light cars. Its four-cyclinder engine
is 60 per cent smaller than that
of its American counterpart, 60
miles an hour is about top speed.
However. 1t makes up to 80 miles
on the equivalent a United States
gallon OF gas. Gasoline economy is
a big factor with the English driver
who has to pay Al cents a gallon
(more than half OF this goes for
tax and who gets ration or only
nine gallons a month.
The British home market is
starved for cars. The entire industry
produced, in 1886 only 1l9,445 cars,
half of which were exported. Now,
three-fifths of the production is
being exported-compared 20 only
.one-fifth before the war.
distributed b. the Chicago Daily News.l