12
FINGER DRIVING
WHAT THE NEW GEAR BOX MEANS
. "AUTOMATIC" FABLE
By the Hon. Victor Brucel
London,, Oct. 7.
in London suggest how a new era is dawning.
GROWTH OF SALES
OVERCOMES SEASONAL
UNBALANCE
INDUSTRY'S TREND
Increased use of automotive
PIKE'S PEAK
CLIMB SHOWS INTERESTING
DEVELOPMENTS.
4-CYLINDER STOCK CAR.
THE CHINA MAIL,
SPEED PROBLEM
STEERING BY MEANS OF SIGHTS
SAFETY FEATURE ··
One of the most difficult problems
One of the surprises of the annual vehicles in all parts of the world has Pike's Peak climb for stock cars held in connection with the attempt by No matter how the general car completely changed the status of a carly in September under the sanc Major H. O. D. Segrave next the unusual per world's fastest land speed record on control and necessities of mainten-motor car in the average household. tion of the American Automobile February to regain for Britain the
a possession Association, was Whereas it was once ance may have been simplified, the which conferred great distinction onformance of a stock Whippet road the sands at Daytona, Florida, has
test for just been satisfactorily solved. matter of gear changing has always
His 1,000-k.p. car is designed to been the bugbear at the notice. its owners and which was carefullyster. In this gruelling
a speed of at least 240 One would have fulded, "and always taken out for display when fine stock cara over the 12-1/3 mile route will be," a short while ago, but weather permitted, it is now merely from Crystal Creek to the summit travel at
which won first maximum of 260. But steering at indications is connection with the means of getting from one place of the peak, the Whippet won second miles an hour, with a possible
another matter. place was an 8-cylinder machine that speed forthcoming Clympia lolor Show to another in the shortest possible place. The car
time with a muximum of comfort
It has now been decided to equip For this reason all-weather, en-selling at the factory for more than
the car with sights just like a rife elased ears are rapidly replacing the four times the Whippet's price.
Nover before has a Whippet been and to steer it much as a bullet is open car and the autumabile in used exactly as much during months of entered in this great hill climbing directed to its target. The car it- his models is to be standardised at weather as during the most classic, which is declared by expert self is shaped like a projectile.
To time this particular record really fool-proof gear box control, with which it is impossible to do Pleasant months of the year. An automobile engineers to be the most
natural result, automobile sales severe teat that could be imposed on (the stopwatch is far too inaccurate other than change cleanly and ex-which used to be crowder into about a stock car since it demands not at such speeds) the driver is requir pertly: which 'abolishes the dreadedi gear lever, and whirl is equally three months of the year, are now only speed and power, but a cooling ed to drive his car over electrical ind more evenly system that will function efficiently timing strips. There are laid out on from a very high temperature at the sand at the beginning and end quiet on indirect and direct ratio, distribute more
throughout twelve months. It is a big claim, but j: justified. For instance, the Willys-Overland the start to the extremely cold en- of the measured mile.course. They
The Working Gear changing on this war is not. Company of Toledo, Ohio, US.A.countered at the top of the moun-are about 26 ft. in length and are
One of the real British manu-| facturers Announces that on two of
in spite of publie atatements that have been made, automatic. The
yards about on instance-movés a little finger on the steering wheel around an on-
ed for the lower gear,
a financial state-tain. have just issued
203 Curves
indicated by two posts like goai- posta.
•
that Major
ment for the third quarter of the
41⁄2 Miles Start year 1928, showing an increase of
In the event this year, the Whip- operator, knowing, or may be only 90 per cent. over the same period
It is estimated anticipating. 1st hinge to a last year. Their sales in Export pet left the starting line at Crystal
sea level, Segrave will require a run of 42 lawer ratio will be desirable in markets showed even greater gain, Creek. 3,000 feet above. few moments - for rounding a corner, which he can t hundred being 117 per cent. larger in the and proceeded over the dirt highway miles to reach his maximum speed, hill-for period of July, August, September toward the top, climbing mile after and he will make his start at this 1928 than during the name period mile and rounding the 203 hairpin distance from the electrical timing
curves and dangerous switchbacks wire.
Two Immense targets are to be of 1927.
on scaffolding These figures, however, are not an which make up the route. It was graved dial to the quisition indical accurate gauge of the industry as loudly acclaimed when it raced across erected at Daytona
a whole, as Willya-Overland has the finish line, 14,109 feet above sen above the timing wires, bath at the start and finish of the measured Nothing happens in, but when enjoyed All exceptional
growth level.
Conditions for the race were the mile. Each at its centre will have the time comes that the change throughout the entire year-Septem
and the down is desirable, the driver de- or being the ninth consecutive worst in the 13 years' history of the a big bull's-eye. presses and releases equivalent month in which rull previous salen Pike's Peak climb. The roadway The sights on the car of the ditch pedal. Sountlessly,ords were broken.
for the last four miles was a sheet bull's-eye will be magnified by a blizzard means of a telescope fixed to the so far as the change in concerned
The outlook for thelosing quar-af ice and anow, with and without increase of noise from ter
reported exceptionally raging at the top of the peak,
The driver, looking through the the gear box, the now ratio comes bright as the popular demand for Careful inspection of the Whippet into effect, and the driver, anti-Whippet Fours and Bixes and for after this terrific test revealed an telescope, will get the car's sight in cipating the development of road Willys-Knights continues
in-engine functioning perfectly and line with the centre of the bottom conditions ahead, moven the in-
eresse, apparently without relation showing no signs of overheating. of the bull's eye (six o'clock of the dicating finger either, lo a still to the seasons of the year..
This is said to be one of the finest bull), and drive straight at it. As tributes possible for the car's cooling he hurtles under the first target lower gear or back to dop, necord- ing to whether the conditions off
Bysteni.
to
gradient promise to become more or MUD, LIONS, & SAND
lein severe, selecting his own time.
for making the actual change.
Judgment Remains
This system seems most ident!
CAPETOWN TO BELGRADE
BY CAN
car.
suspended over the start of the timed distance he will pick up the target at the end of the timed distance, steering in the same man-
WHAT IS A MILLION?ner as before.
GENERAL MOTORS EXPORT HEAD EXPLAINS
Although American business men
By this means he hopes to keep a dead straight course. How neces- sary this is, is clear when the speed of the car is considered. At 240 miles an hour the car travels four miles a minute, or one mile in 15 seconds, or, to reduce it further, a
quarter of a mile in under four
and I should imagine 14tle practice! A party of four Houth Africans is needed to become accustomed to and one Central African native St. But, it is not automalle, and arrived in Belgrade on October 1, way from therein, my mind, Jes its prin- having come all the cipat charo I still loves to the Capetown in the Chevrolet - cars, driver the ressity for judgment standard models. They had been on as to the best time to change gear the read since March), for they had talk in millions, few of them have in order to extract the maximum deliberately chosen to make their any accurate conception of what a efficiency from the engine. But Journey at the worst possible time tremendous quantity" 1,000,000 seconds. faulty judgment holds do penalties of the year, during the wet season, dollers really represents, according int the form of grinding of teeth, to test the reliability and endurance to Mr. J. D. Mooney, president of straight line might easily carry him
Of the 15,000 miles the General Motors Export Com-into the soe and mean disaster.
Merely a Blurred Line or, still worse and more dreaded, of their cars.
Africa me 2,000 pany, who recently returned to the the missing of the gears allogether traversed in and the danger of the car dropping would seem to have been over land USA. after an extended Europena
where there were no
roads or visit,
backwards down the hill:
wheels.
Human Element Necessary
"Twenty-five million. doilars,"
The slightest wandering off the
"It is quite impossible to steer accurately by ordinary objects," Air. Mooney recounted acon-Major Segrave said. "The flags The completely automatic gear bridges they just atered due has attracted inventors since the north by the sun through elephant eration in point with an Amster-marking the course are merely a beginning of motoring, and many grasa over six feet tall, through dan banker at a London banquet. blurred line. The timing posts are "What will be the extent of your too far away to be visible at the - promising designs have appeared fields of nad: axle deep, and over Generally, however, they suffer vast sandy deserts Their cars export business in May?" the bank-start, and when you get near to them they simply jump at you. This new from the inherent objection that were dragged through hundreds of er asked.
method of steering.. should be of other facts--lactors which are flooded rivers many of which were
enormous assistance to me in my never constant, and therefore can-not marked on their map, where Mr. Mooney replied,
"How many motor cara did the attempt." not be allowed for-than engine all bridges had been awept away,
The cost of Major Segrave's car speed and road speed enter into were pushed over miles of soft sand United States build Inst year?"
The United States and Canada is being borne by two wealthy the requirements as to the ratio of and hauled out of swamp by teams
3,500,000," Mr. Mooney London business men, and runs into drive between engine and road of, natives. Several times their huilt
many thousands of pounds, They ment supplles were atoled during answered.
They talked about American in-are both anxious to see the record the night by lions, but though they Norm, in moving off from shot at hundreds of the they did dustry. Every query, according to regained for England, but one of Mr. Mooney, brought an answer in their stipulations was that the de- rest, the doomatic gear would not succeed in bagging any.
signer should guarantee that the start from zeru and gradually de- From Cairo they passed through terms of millions. crease The gear ratio until, at a Palestine and Turkey to Constan- "You'll have to stop," said the risk run by Major Segrave should and visitari Greece, banker finally. "Those figures are be reduced to the lowest possible given car speed, the highest pos-tinople sible ratio allowed for by the design Bulgaria, and toumania before big I can't comprehend them."
"Naither can I," WAN Mr. This latest development is one of hall be attained. Similarly, incoming on to Belgrade From their
wem that Monney's reply.
the safety features. slowing down, soon as that set photographs it would
Despite the enormous volume of car speed had been passed in the they had almost as much trouble on slackening of pace, the gear ratio some of the Greek rows as on those commercial and industrial activity, would stellly berome lower. But of Central Africa. Nor was croan, which is now aeldam considered im- there are many occasions when we ing the Danube an easy task for it portant in less than seven-digit wish to run gently at a moderate took them 28 hours to come from lets, few business men have any THE BRAKE SYSTEM speed in top sear, or when a hill Panchevo to Belgrade on a large conception of the tremendous scope can be climbed anora quickly by They left for 4taly, Switzerland, covered by the now commonplace THREE IMPORTANT THINGS TO dropping into a lower wear than Prance, England, and Scandinavia, word "million," Mr. Mooney added. would be proportionate on the level and hope to reach Stockholm in a
to the speed of the car.
few weeks' time.
limit.
REMEMBER
There are three things of the utmost importance to be considered! Their light van carried a high- These contrasting requirements!
WHEN A CAR IS OLD In the matter of good brakes.. cannot be met by a completely auto-power wireless set and they were
First Safety. That is probably matic gear, though it is possible to able to listen in to London concerts
When a car gets in a condition the most important, for with poor fit a Aupplementary hand Control in when stuck fast in deep black and order to obtain abnormal gear in the wilds of Africa and to keep that it is hard to start. loses pop brakes not only a driver's life is vanations. The difficulty in met in in touch all the thar with their un hills and does not perform as endangered, but the lives of pedes- just this way in a new automatic friends in Capetown.-"Ex.”
and infinitely variable gear, ther
details of which have just been an-
nounced. This is a variation of
seem
well as it used to, the fault lies in trians and other motorists are at An automobile operator not having the machine inspected stake. fantil after it has reached a con- owes it to himself to keep his dition when its loss of efficiency is brukes well lined and adjusted, if
the age-old friction drive idea, and even without any special arrange conspicuous, by its poor perform-only for the protection and safety
An automobile properly ser- of those riding in the car. so far as can be told without actual menta such as those used in the ance.
Second-Tyres. There is no other road experience it promises better two gears which I have mentioned, viced should give as good perform- than any predecessor on the same there are plenty of ordinary gearance after 25,000 miles of driving one thing more abusive to tyres lines that I have seen.
baxes which are comparatively an it did after 10,000, if a few of than improperly adjusted brakes; ds undoubtedly the most Unmechanical Principles simple to use. But the new gear the principal minor servicing items and it
neglected adjustment on the auto- These two developments, anyway, boxes are not merely comparative are looked after regularly,
to suggest that at last ally simple," they are definitely fool- From the standpoint of low main-mobile of to-day. Some brake on serious effort is being made to re- proof..
tenance coat. and satisfactory per-one wheel and some brake on the move the gear changing bogay. Another tendency towards sim-formance, it will be well to look other, with a total disregard for Ever since the days of the first pler gear changing is found in the after the following items at regular rubber, and then wonder why they motor-car expert and novice allenéreasing practice of Atting a free intervals: Adjust carburettor, ad- did not get mileage on their tyres.
Third-Comfort. Is it necessary haa beim exclaiming against the wheel clutch to the transmission just third brush, clean distri- crude and unmechanical principlé gear.
I have already butor, cap, adjust Ignition to "atomp" on the brakes to bring subject timing, clean battery termin-the car to a stop? There is a world upon of the conventional gear box-the enlarged necessity for sliding two revolving I will not go into detail ale, change oil in crankcase, of satisfaction du "knowing" brakes pinions into ongagement,
now; but with a freewheel it is adjust or replace fan helt, tighten are good, brakes that respond to In all the years that have passed, possible for the novice to execute electric connections. Clean and the alightest touch of the pedal practically no progress has been changes to a lower ratio at a high adjust contact points, inspect and and bring a car to a full stop with made so far as the average car is road speed which would make the replace those connections, check off out "aideswiping" or concerned, and the same principle expert hesitate on a
Since
is still employed on the vast ma-wheel cat.
no com
motor and generator commutators; brakes add a great jority of cars. Detail Improvement, The free, wheel equally robs the inspect spark plugs, replacing if ing and are an increased metalurgical knowledge gear box of all its terrors-and at necessary inspect
And so forth have overcome most of the Olympia. Show we shall find ignition switches and rein
and vent
the objections to the system of gear that it has been adopted on quite a clean all fuel lines, blow out fuel Good
lines and scréons; changing in question, however, and number of British cars.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1928.
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