28 DECEMBEB 1!1,67 volt27 No. 3750

Edltor Dcputv Edhor Ar.ist fi Edlto? Fratrra! Edhor

Eportr Edltor

A!.lst trt foohnicll Edhot

Edit6rhl

Mld.nd Edhor

An Edhtr Asistant MrmhdLr Ofnce

MAURICE A. sMITH. OFC PETER GARI{IER I.EONARD AYTOITI ATUART BTADOil INilE8 IFETAI{O GEOFFREY HOWARO,

BSdEng), ACGI, GlMcchE

JOHI{ DAVEY GRAHAM ROBSON. lllAlOxon) MARTIN LEWIS MICHAEL SCAALETT WARFEN ALLPONT

EDWARD EVES

HOWARD VYEE JOHN HAWKINS

HAROLO HOLT, AMIMI. AMAET

Spocial Contributo6

BONALO BABKER ROGER HUI{TINGTON,,E SAE ( D qtou EOIN YOUNG (Spon)

M.notlng Dircior H. l{, PFlAUtx,,lrPE

MAltl FEATURES

Page

LONG-TERM ASSESSMENT: SINGER VOGUE 2 MOBIT RUN '67 AND '68 6 TEST: FORD CORTINA 16q)E I WHY OCTANES? 14 PROFILE: ROBIN WIDDOWS 16 TEST: 1965 TRIUMPH 2Oq) 20 CAR OF THE YEAR 22 THE PRISONER'S MODEL 32 SPORT SUPPLEMENT Between 38-65

REGUIAR ITEMS DISCONNECTEO JOTTINGS

THE SPORT

NEW PRODUCTS

PIC\IVEEK

NEWS AND VIEWS

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

STRAIGHT FBOM THE GRID

CORRESPONDENCE

NEW CAR PRICES Last pagos before back covet

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ITEXT WEEK'S ISSUE FEATURETP. 38

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KILLING THE GOOSE?

BACK in 1958 the Ministry of Transport drew up its test scheme. This fixed a fee of 15s, of which 14s went to the garage carrying out the test and 1s to the Ministry, tooffset the paperwork involved. At the time, the cost to the customer for a mechanic's labour stod at around 21s an hour in urban garages-so that the 14s represented some 40 minutes' work. The scheme took effect on 12 September 1960, at first for 1o-year-old cars; subsequently it was reduced to seven years (31 December 1961), six years (1 November 1962). five years (3O August, 1963). four years (1 October 1966). and the present three years (1 April 1967).

Meanwhile, the cost of labour has increased, so thatthe hourly rate in urban districts now stands at around f 1 15s. Yet the charge for the test remains unchanged. ln effect, therefore, the 14s, in terms of today's charges, represents only 24 minutes' work. Thus this important test is either going to be skimped or, if the garage owner is consciencious enough to put in the full 4O minutes' work originally estimated as necessary for a worthwhile test, he is going to be some 9s 6d out of pocket. He will be even more so nerft April, when a thorough inspection of tyres, including treaddepth measurement, will take extra time. Against this, of course, he is favourably situated to get the work of putting right the faults disclosed by almost every test.

The Motor Agents Association, which give full support to the Ministry in the scheme, are now negotiating for an increase in the authorized fee. This may mean that motorists will have to pay f 1 to f 1 1Os a year.

Since the scheme was introduced, the number of cars requiring testing has increased enormously-from around 1{m in 1960 to this year's 8m-and it is eventually proposed to enforce tests for every car on the road, every year. Where such figures are involved it would cleady be bestto do the tests on a production-line basis. But there are now in the order of 22,OOO MoT-approved testing stations, which means the work is far too widely dispersed for such a system to be worthwhile.

Clearly, the successful operation of this scheme has been possible only through the co-operation of the garage trade which, incidentally, looks after an estimated 90 per cent of the testing. But enthusiasm for the work is now much less and many garages prefer only to look after their own regular customers.

A random incognito check just made by MoT staff has shown, they say, that only 40 per cent of the tests are being carried out satisfactorily, the main shortcoming being the failure to use approved test equipment.

Now there is also talk of the Ministry setting up "state garages" in railway station car parks. One can envisage commuters leaving their cars for the day at these petroland-inspection stations. and picking up the report at the day's end, then maybe taking car and report to their own garages for the work to be carried out. Whatever the outcome of the present position, if the garage trade is to continue testing, inevitably the fees will have to be raised.