Page:Walter Renton Ingalls - Wealth and Income of the American People (1924).pdf/156

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The production of automobiles in the United States since 1913, as reported by the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, has been as follows:

Paseenger care——- —-Motor trucke— Passenger and commercial Year Number Value Number Value Number Value 1014 543,670 $ 413,859,370 25,375 $ 45,008,464 569,045 § 458,957,843 1015 818,618 565,978,050 74,000 125,800,000 892,618 691,778,950 1916 1,493,617 797,469,353 80,000 157,500,000 1,583,617 954,969,353 1917 1,740,792 1,083,505,781 128,157 220,982,668 1,868,947 1,274,488,440 1918 926,388 801,037,025 227,250 434,168,902 1,153,637 1,236,106,917 1910 1,657,652 1,461,785,025 316,364 423,326,621 1,974,016 1,885,112,546 1920 1,883,158 1,800,170,963 322,030 423,756,715 2,205,197 2,232,927,628

According to advice obtained in the automobile industry 25 per cent may reasonably be added to the wholesale value in order to arrive at the retail value.

The total number of cars—passenger and commercial—built in 1917-1920 for use in the United States is given in the next table, which is derived from the previous one by deducting exports.

Year Number Value 1917 1,788,168 $1,183,532,315 1918 1,106,393 1,173,013,673 1919 1,891,286 1,775,986,582 1920 2,034,432 2,021,417,969 Total. ........ eee 6,820,279 $6,153,950,539 25 per cent added.. $7,692,438,174

In 1916 there were registered 3,512,996 automobiles in the United States. At $500 per car their aggregate value was $1,756,498,000. In 1917-1920 we built for domestic use 6,820,279 of wholesale value of $6,153,950,539 and retail value of $7,692,438,174 (retail value being reckoned at wholesale value plus 25 per cent). In 1920 there were registered 9,211,295 cars, the aggregate value of which I estimate at $4,594,450,000. This estimate is based on retail price less 20 per cent