THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1928.
OVERSEAS TRADE,
wards.
SALES.
BRITISH FAULTS.
509 FIAT.
SUCCESS AT TUCUMAN MEETING
THE CHINA MAIL,
NOVEL FEATURE.
CAR WITH FRONT WHEEL
DRIVES U
ELIMINATING SKIDDING.
A British motor firm has estab lished a new era in motoring
and avery office. Their Government co-operates with them in the mat ter, of distribution and their ship HOW AMERICA' DOMINATES INping lines assist them. Their branch offices overseas keep them informed of every development in every market, the state of trade,
FIVE RACES the trend of population, the wealth of the people, the state of the
Correspondence just received The remarks of some of the crops, and other vital information from the Argentine gives details British motor manufacturers print-bearing on the possibility of future of the Motor Meeting which took Recently I had a prolonged trial ed during the last Imperial Confer-sales. They listen to the car place on Sunday, May 20, at of a front wheel drive Alvis lent me ence, in December, 1926, make poor owners; they constantly adapt and Tucuman in the Argentine, Re by Henlys, of Devonshire House and reading eighteen months after improve their wares instead of
waiting for an annual show and public, before a vast concourse of Great Portland-street, W., and I am The Prime Ministers of New then being six months late in de- people and in splendid weather. so impressed with the novel fea- Zealand and Australia pointed out livery of new models. In short, This is one of the most important tures of this car and with its ex- to the manufacturers that they they create their markets.
motoring events of the Argen-traordinary road-holding qualities were losing overseas trade which But the British manufacturer tine, and it is estimated that that I think it deserves special men- aught to be theirs and suggested sits in his office and waits for the over 20,000 people witnessed the tion as one of the outstanding that manufacturers should visit overseas agents to give him "firm races. From the earliest hours of achievements of the motoring year the Dominions and see what was orders." The cars England has the morning the stands were writes the "Morning Post, Motor- wrong. Two of the most promin-been sending overseas have not literally taken by storm. Large Ing Correspondent.
I am aware that other front wheel ent concerns in the industry wrote been scceptable for a variety of numbers of people came from to the Press concerning oversens
The overseas buyer de Buenos Aires and from other drive cars have been produced markets defending British cars no mands a car of standard track and towns, so that the difficult pro-abroad, but these have been only suitable for overseas, and the Press long wheel-base, with big balloon blem of finding accommodation for racing purposes America, for was optimistic. The result, how tyres and long, supple, slow-acting for the night was solved by many example, has had front wheel drive ever, has been disappointing, and springing. The roads make these with gay revelry under the starlit races for some years. British sales have been falling in things necessary. The engine must sky.
The meeting comprised five stead of increasing.
be of ample power to climb.most hills on
top gear: the overseas races for the following classes of driver has an unbending avertion cars: to changing gear too frequently, as
cylinders, 6 cylinders, is necessitated by the tiny English
Light cars, Cars without limit of piston displacement, Cars engine. The Dominions are not
driven by ladies. cramped; they have huge open spaces and distances between towns are great. The Colonial lives in a big country and thinks big; he must have a big car. Five-seater cars are the minimum. Passengers must not be cramped on long journeys over rough roads, and the up- holstery springing and seats must
One British firm wrote: "Why, then, it will be asked, are British cars going to the Dominions in sach small quantities? For the simple reason that the traders there will not give firm orders for reasonable quantities....if the overseas buyers would come down to hard facts and treat with us upon a sound
business basis."
CREATING MARKETS.
reasons.
A
North American cars were
The Alvis Company itself aźpari- mented for about four years with racing cars unt! It produced the present standard sports model, which is the same as the two cars which did so well at Le Mans this
year.
A "SUCTION" CAR
well in evidence, as the Motor The new model front wheel drive Industry of the United States by Alvis super sports car might well its persistent and tenacious policy be termed a "suction" car, as, in- of commercial penetration has stead of the car being pushed along succeeded in dominating almost through the back wheels, it is entirely the local markets. Italy drawn along with the front. The was represented by a little Model result is that the car's controllabill- be comfortable. The lines of the 509 Fiat driven by Raffaele ty is astonishing, as it has to follow car must be pleasing; long, low, Bossini.
the front wheels, while, la my sweeping curves giving the impres-
The Light Car event was run opinion, the independent springing sion of speed are desired. Coach-Immediately affer the open race of each wheel almost eliminates all work must be strong enough to The start took place at 12.85 p.m. the disadvantages of the old type stand up to terrlic strains without and the race, which was ten laps suspension. rattling to strains unknown and of the "9 de Julio"" Track impossible to imagine on English 574 miles), presented some very roads.
This is sheer nonsense. It la suggested that overseas agents should go to the factories for the business. The Americans have got the trade because they go to the agents, make terms which are ac- ceptable and put down an organisa- tion to sell their cars. The days are past when trade automatically went to Britain; other countries
The car has to be driven to real- send their representatives abroad
exciting moments. The little ise the perfection of this springing, and seek orders. More than that; by advertising and by subtle propa- HIGH POWER WANTED. Fiat at once showed its magni- and can be taken across places that ganda of every known form they
Power is necessary in countries ficent running qualities. Amid would disintegrate the ordinary create a demand where none existed where the average roads climb hills the growing enthusiasm. of the car. The fact that there is no axle and then, by their organisation, such as are not found in England, enormous gathering of spectators, at the back, and only short driving they see to it that the new demand and for this reason six-cylinder en- the Italian car "of elegant lines, axles at the front, so that each is amply met and that it is main-glues are more popular than fours. awift as the wind and with ad-wheel, when it encounters a bump, tained. The American factories The pries of the low-powered Eng- mirable regularity" to quote the maves up and down independently have their branch factories in the lish four-cylinder engine, with nar- words of the Tucuman daily "El of any of the others, makes for this Dominions, they have large offices row four-seater body is in many Norte Argentino" thoroughly smoothness, while the fact that the and staffs, they spend enormous cases greater than that of the high-beat all its competitors, arriving usual cumbersome propeller shaft is absent means that the body and sums on advertising, and they place powered American six-cylinder firat at the winning post a good their propaganda in every home (Continued at foot of next Column, four minutes ahead of the second chassis can be made far lower at
arrival, an Overland-Whippet.
"EXTRA VALUE”!!!
WE HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT
NATIONAL
BATTERIES
NATIONAL
BATTERIES
give the biggest value at the most Reasonable PRICE,
Type.
611RF Auburn 4, Buick, Ford
Price.
the rear.
DISADVANTAGES.
That there are disadvantages I will not deny, but I think that these can all ba overcome..
A thunder of applause greeted the Fiat's victory, due also to the skilled and masterly driving of Bossini, in whose honour a ban- quet was afterwards held, all the leading personalities of the town Firstly, there is a decided waste being present.
of space under the bonnet, as, in Commenting on the Meeting addition to the engine, the clutch "El Norte" wrote the following gear box and fidal bevel drive have day that the phenomenon of the to be accommodated there in front contest "was the tiny Fiat which of the engine instead of under the made a splendid and most regular floor boards behind it, so that there race; it was the car that attracted is not so much room loft for the the most attention by its speed | bodywork. and stamina."
Again, on a loose surface with Thus did the Italian Motor In- large stones, or on newly-spread dustry do itself honour in a com- tar, the front wheels, being the petition known and commented driving wheels, pick up stones and upon throughout the whole of dirt and hurl them at the driver, South America.··
but this is only a matter of making the mudguards more efficient." Capt. Malcolm Campbell was! The car can be cornered at amused when shown a message speeds quite twenty per cent. from Copenhagen stating that M. higher than those of any back- Rytter, the Danish Minister of wheel drive vehicle that I know. It Justice, had forbidden him to at- is possible, of course, to make the tempt to break the world's motor- back swing round by cornering Ing speed record on the sands at viciously, but, directly the accelera Blokhus on the Jutland coast. tor is depressed, the whole car has Capt. Campbell more than three to follow in the direction in which months ago decided after a visit the front wheels are pointing, and to Denmark that there were no ordinary skidding is almost suitable sands there for his pur eliminated. posc. He said "I am proceeding with my plans for the speed at tempt in the Syrian Desert, to which reference has already been made.
LIGHT STEERING.
The steering is extraordinarily light, and is quite the safest-feel- ing that I have ever experienced, as there is no possibility of wheat saloon car, and when it is remem-wobble or axle "dither." bered that the foreign car starts As a car, the front-wheel-drive with a big handleap in higher Cus-Alvis, has a maximum speed of toms duty.It seems that something about 80 miles an hour with a 1,500 is wrong in British factories. It is c.c, engine, and a speed of a little argued, and perhaps admitted, that over 60 ruiles an hour on the third the English car may be mora ratio of the four-speed gear box economical on fuel and oil than the It is more than probable that American and, with luck, may last there is a great future for the front a bit longer. But these things are wheel drive cat, more particularly more or less problematical and are as Captain Malcolm Campbell and not considered by the buyers. A Major Segrave have both been con hundred pounds on the price of an oldering the type for future at- inferior English car, slower in tempts on the world speed record, acceleration, smaller in horse for which purpose it should be power and seating capacity, and ideal
Car.
Chrysler 4, Chevrolet, Whippet 4, Plymouth
$22.50
611SF
Chrysler 62, Essex,
Jewett, Graham, Erskine, Whippet 6, Oldsmobile '.
.00
613SF
613RF Buick, Studebaker, light and std., 6, Gardner, Willys- Knight
Auburn 8, Buick M.6, Chandler, Hudson, Packard
$27.50
$32.50
615RF
1278F
Chrysler 72 & 80, Stude- baker big and Spec, 6, Packard 8, Nash, La Salle, Cadillac
Dodge before 1926, Graham Truck
$40.00
car
$45.00
T
Your next battery should be a NATIONAL
BIG SHIPMENT ARRIVED.
Sole Ag
A. LUNG & CO
slow on hills, make all the differ Again, I understand that there is ence to the customer. The average project to build a small, cheap Colonial has a big family. He has car with a four-cylinder engine been taught to use a big car. He across the frame, employing a can afford to run a big car, scrap front-wheel drive, which could pro it In two years, and get the latest bably be sold for under 8100 model so as to be up-to-date with It is gratifying to and a British, his neighbours, and he buys a big firm like Alvis of Cov try, muffi
ciently enterprising to spend years Without exception, the Oversess in the development hla car at Dominions went British cars and great expense, and i
world are prepared to pay a little more
reat step for them within reason. But until the British manufacturer turns out the right class of thing and lays down an efficient sales and service organisation America will continue,
| to dominate the market.
It: 16 no use for England to walt SPEED
for the trade; she
her best brains and
overseas markets wh
hers are more than sufficient
absorb all, her unemployment but
hor: leaders SE
had th
&
thelr
have
119, Quoc cfRoad
BEAUTY
SERVICE
PONTIAC
Look to the Leader for Leadership
The
Silver Anniversary
BUICK
On
Display TO-DAY
13
WHEN BETTER AUTOMOBILES ARE BUILT.......BUICK WILL BUILD THEM.
THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR CO., LTD.
Telephone Central 1246
or 1247.
33 WONG NEI CHUNG ROAD, HAPPY VALLEY,
V New
CHRYSLER “65”.
IN75 and the "65"- Chrysler now the new Chrysler Sixes the
sets striking new measures of beauty, when the artistry of an industry was seemingly at its height--new measures. of performance, beyond even the sparkling Chryslers of other days- new measures of value-lower prices
It is expected of Chrysler that
It shall provide the public with new style, new performance, new quality, new value, For it is the outstanding. genius of Chrysler engineering, search, and manufacture that ter cally they
new extraordinary
and
offerings, beyond anything else the Industry provides in perfor style. It is natural th the public, has secla Chryslers as surpassin gone before as usheri
tence an entirely new moto that re-styles all motor cars *** @ In dew of the unique
ue degree of beauty, view
power, speed, luxury, comfo ciency and value of the new
and
the
"65, it is not
not at all strange whole country is today more than ever
Chrysler-wild.
Bonzer
new archie
full-drowned.
ww.monding and coul
Langer, wider, roarsler bodies-
emai
A. LUNG & CO.
&