20 -- Friday, August 3, 1990 ~ North Shore News EVEN BEFORE the Iron Curtain began AUTOMOTIVES Automakers eye East European car market its historical tumble this year, Western automakers were eyeing the East European automobile market with gleeful anticipation. With an estimated population of 114 million people (excluding the Soviet Union), Eastern Europe represents an enormous and rela- tively untapped market for Western automobiles and trucks. Most East European countries have between 45 and 200 cars per 1,000 people, while West Germany and the United States are ap- proaching 500 cars per 1,000 peo- ple. Automobiles for use as personal transportation are few and far be- tween in many East bloc coun- tries. Though demand is strong, buyers in Eastern Europe must wait years to buy a new car. Greg Wilson AUTOMOTION Until recently, the waiting period in East Germany was up to 16 years for an outdated two- stroke Trabant or Wartburg. Automobiles manufactured in the East bloc are generally out- dated, old-fashioned, and expen- sive. For the most part, manufac- turing facilities are antiquated and technology lags far behind the West. East Germans got a taste of Western technology at the first- ever auto show in East Germany last June in Leipzig. Automakers from ail over the world displayed Western products which most East Germans had never seen before. French, Italian, West German and Japanese cars were repre- sented for the first time to en- thusiastic crowds that came from as far away as Hungary. For both economic and emo- tional reasons, West German car companies are investing heavily in East Germany. East Germany’s economy is the strongest of the Eastern European countries, and offers the most immediate oppor- tunities. Even before Germany’s official monetary re-unification in July, Volkswagen constructed a new car factory at Zwickau in East Ger- many. The first VW Polo economy car rolled off the assembly line on May 21, 1990. By the end of 1990, Volkswagen expects to be producing 100,600 Polos per year. Volkswagen has already ap- pointed 400 VW/Audi dealers and 140 Seat (a European subsidiary of VW) dealers in East Germany. The rosy economic picture is not without its thorns, though. One obstacle for foreign automakers entering the East bloc is the conversion of East Euro- pean currencies to Western funds. Most of the time, this cannot be done, so automakers must make special trading deals. General Motors, for example, is proposing to build transmissions in Czechoslovakia and export them to assembly plants in Western Europe. GM would then use credits offered by Czechoslovakia for the exported transmissions to allow them to import West German cars to Czechoslovakia. Automakers also face a lack of parts suppliers, and suppliers who can provide adequate quality and reliability. This fact has caused Ford of Europe to hesitate in its plans to build manufacturing fa- cilities in East Germany. Industry experts feel that there will be little profit made during the first five years because of high Start-up costs and currency prob- lems. But despite these drawbacks, many companies have already made firm commitments. At the moment, Daimler Benz, Toyota, General Motors, Volvo, and Suzuki have plans to produce vehicles, and/or parts, in Eastern Europe. Many more companies are set- ting up dealer networks in the East. Perhaps the biggest potential market for automobiles is the Sovict Union. Current demand is estimated at four million cars per year, but Soviet factories only have the capacity to build 1.2 mil- lion vehicles per year. Fiat was one of the first automakers to get its foot in the door years ago when it gave Lada the rights to produce the 124 sedan and wagon, known as the Signet. In a recent announcement, Fiat and the Soviet auto industry agreed to produce the Fiat Panda in 1994 at a new plant yet to be constructed. Daimler-Benz and Mitsubishi also have plans to produce Mercedes mid-size sedans and Mitsubishi trucks in the Soviet Union. If the politica! climate in East- ern Europe remains favorable, Europe as a whole could experi- ence an cconomic boom lasting many years. Automobile com- panies, at least, are prepared to invest in a market that was left ‘out in the cold’ for decades. Paraplegic car rally set MEMBERS OF the British Col- umbia Paraplegic Association will compete against Lower Mainland media in the association’s 34th Annual Car Rally. The original idea of the car ral- ly was for paraplegics to set out to prove to the general public that paraplegics can drive as well as anyone else. In the 1940s, paraplegics were charged a 10 per cent surcharge on their insurance premiums because it was felt that hand control drivers were more prone to accidents. The Motor Vehicle Branch also imposed a speed limit of SOkm per hour. The car rally is scheduled for Saturday, August I], Il a.m., at 700 West S7th Avenue, Van- couver, in the parking lot of Pearson Hospital. : Peat: “NEWS photo Paul McGrath YOUNG CHRISTOPHER Weber feels what it's like behind the wheel of a Lotus Super-7 at a re- cent meeting of the Lotus Car Club at Waterfront Park in North Vancouver. See cars of tomorrow today A FEW years ago, while rummaging through a bargain bin, I came across a book called Wasn’t The Future Wonderful? which looked back at many of the predictions people in the "30s and ’40s made about eqmology in the ’80s and 90s. By Ken Hardie Insurance Company of B.C. In those days before many syn- thetics or the integrated circuit chip, much of what they imagined was straight out of Buck Rogers. Not so today, where, by the time you and | hear of a breakthrough, it has already been overtaken in the laboratory by new technology. Later this year, you'll have an opportunity to see what automotive engineers have plan- ned for our not-too-distant driving future, courtesy of your Autoplan broker. The 1991 Autoplan calen- dar will feature pictures and stories on six concept cars — vehicles of the future that have al- ready been built by major manu- facturers to give us a peek at the latest mixture of technology and imagination. If you have a little girl in your family, you may have been among the many Christmas shoppers in- volved in the hunt last December for a Barbie Magic Wagon. It was the toy van that split in two so that a small car could motor away leaving the main body of the van behind. Far fetched? Not at the Chrysler Corporation, where they’ve developed the Voyager Ill. This concept involves a smal} commuter car that couples to a passenger module to become a full, eight-passenger family vehi- cle. The new Pontiac Sunfire has a main door for front seat passen- gers, and a half-door for access to the rear seats. There’ are no door handles. You get in via an “exterior sen- sitivity panel.’’ Some of the features include a_ 10-speaker stereo system and a_ voice-ac- ” Gibsons, B.C. The Idyllic Lifestyle turn to page 43 INSURANCE CORPORATION OF BRITISH COLLMBA Auto Topic tivated cellular phone. Other vehicles featured on the 1991 Autoplan Calendar include the Porsche Panamerica, with a sleek body formed from the latest plastic and carbon-fibre com- posites. The Ford Probe V com- bines futuristic optics and a ther- moplastic ‘‘skin’’ to reduce weight and aerodynamic drag. The Volkswagen Futura has removable doors and hatchback, and could be transformed into a STK. # 90-5169 @ Powerful 4 litre inline 6 cyl. M5 spd trans with overdrive B Power brakes & steering B Aluminum sport wheels high-tech dune buggy! More serious features include holographic glass which cuts down on heat and glare from the sun and an integrated child safety seat. The oddest newcomer may be the Nissan Chapeau. It’s a little van that looks like a hat box on wheels, but it’s loaded with design innovations that will please people with cargo to haul in heavy city traffic. The 1991 Autoplan Calendar featuring cars of the future will be available from participating brokers in November. Ask for one and, just for fun, save it. It could be that 30 years from now, some- one will find a copy and say, “Wow! If these people only knew! @ P225/75 R15 all terrain tires #@ Electric rear window defroster @ Factory AM/FM stereo W@ Chrysler 7 yrs. / 115 km warranty 16,982" * NET OF ALL PROGRAMS, FREIGHT & P.D.!. $790 OL #7496 GUARANTEED B.C’S LOWEST PRICES | | 1600 MARINE :DR.. «, N. VAN 980-3431.