Sir,

Surely if the recent trend of price increases continues in the British motor industry it will not be long before we have basic four-seater family saloons costing at a minimum one thousand pounds. This, of course, must drastically reduce the available market for this, the bread and butter vehicle of the industry. Today manufacturers are aiming at the mass market (this must mean the working man !), but there is a limit to the amount of capital which this section (the largest) of the community can afford, and I am sure that a thousand is above that ceiling. Even at the prices today I know of people who instead of buying a new small saloon up to 1,300 c.c. are looking towards a larger and better class of car on the second-hand market. Until recently most of the major manufacturers announced price increases in the national and specialist motoring press, but I have noticed that certain models have had increases which were not announced, only alterations in the price list. I for one would prefer to know how much I am going to pay for the basic car before entering the showroom.

J.M. ELLIS – Richmond