It is seventy years next week from the launch of the 203 in Australia. Canada Cycle and Motor Co advertised in the press and displayed the car at the Royal Melbourne Show. Promise was made of a December delivery. This was quick, a Holden was on two years delivery and all popular makes at least six months.
Due to the dollar shortage American cars were on indefinite delivery and many sellers would not take further orders. Buyers were used to paying deposits of 20 to 50 pounds and waiting. Car advertisements encouraged stoic patience. The situation was made worse by speculators who would put deposits on a number of cars and advertise them for a premium just before delivery. The situation was so bad dealers in American cars made buyers sign a contract not to resell for two years. When a Pontiac was resold at double its list York Motors took the buyer to the NSW Supreme Court who enforced the contract. The profit was refunded to York who donated it to Legacy.
At a time of high inflation the 203 was released at 895 pounds which put it in the competitive under thousand pound market. Unfortunately to keep the price down the modern and efficient heater demister introduced on the 402 was deleted. This was a poor move as such a unit would have strengthened the claims of the car to luxury. This was still a lot of money, out of the reach of ten pound a week workers and around the same price as a workers cottage in Fitzroy.
Canada Cycle and Motor Company was conservative and had survived the Depression by taking a hard nosed approach to transactions with low trade in values. They were not going to be caught with a lot of unsold cars so the December shipment was small, probably in the 25 to 50 car range. CCM were surprised by the interest in the cars and opened the Latrobe Street showroom to buyers all day Saturday. Subsequently a larger order was placed in conjunction with Harden & Johnston and a ship chartered to arrive in Sydney mid January. The NSW component of that shipment was 200 cars so we can assume the Victorian shipment was similar. The December shipment did not arrive until late in the month and cars were being sent to dealers after Christmas. They appeared as 1950 registrations.
Although Harden & Johnston always advertised as if they had brought the 203 to Australia Johnston was still in France negotiating an agency at this time. Somebody told Peugeot the Australian market for the 203 was in the 4000 to 5000 car range and they were quite excited about it. I suspect Johnston was to blame, talking up the market.
Private deliveries didn't really get under way until the end of January 1950.
Due to the dollar shortage American cars were on indefinite delivery and many sellers would not take further orders. Buyers were used to paying deposits of 20 to 50 pounds and waiting. Car advertisements encouraged stoic patience. The situation was made worse by speculators who would put deposits on a number of cars and advertise them for a premium just before delivery. The situation was so bad dealers in American cars made buyers sign a contract not to resell for two years. When a Pontiac was resold at double its list York Motors took the buyer to the NSW Supreme Court who enforced the contract. The profit was refunded to York who donated it to Legacy.
At a time of high inflation the 203 was released at 895 pounds which put it in the competitive under thousand pound market. Unfortunately to keep the price down the modern and efficient heater demister introduced on the 402 was deleted. This was a poor move as such a unit would have strengthened the claims of the car to luxury. This was still a lot of money, out of the reach of ten pound a week workers and around the same price as a workers cottage in Fitzroy.
Canada Cycle and Motor Company was conservative and had survived the Depression by taking a hard nosed approach to transactions with low trade in values. They were not going to be caught with a lot of unsold cars so the December shipment was small, probably in the 25 to 50 car range. CCM were surprised by the interest in the cars and opened the Latrobe Street showroom to buyers all day Saturday. Subsequently a larger order was placed in conjunction with Harden & Johnston and a ship chartered to arrive in Sydney mid January. The NSW component of that shipment was 200 cars so we can assume the Victorian shipment was similar. The December shipment did not arrive until late in the month and cars were being sent to dealers after Christmas. They appeared as 1950 registrations.
Although Harden & Johnston always advertised as if they had brought the 203 to Australia Johnston was still in France negotiating an agency at this time. Somebody told Peugeot the Australian market for the 203 was in the 4000 to 5000 car range and they were quite excited about it. I suspect Johnston was to blame, talking up the market.
Private deliveries didn't really get under way until the end of January 1950.
Brendan.