THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1931.
SIXES v. EIGHTS,
Competition in
America.
It is interesting to note the de- inite trend towards 8-cylinder cars as against sixes in the United States. A few years ago alxes made competition in America; they are facing competition. Six cylinder cars are losing ground to the eights; yet, in spite of this, four-cylinder cars are the biggest sellers in the United States, thanks the popularity of the Ford, the sales of which total about 43 per cent, of all the passenger cars in the States.
THE CHINA
MAIL.
11
DRIVING A CAR.
LOW GRADE FUEL.
Final Automobile Club Lecture.
Effects on the
Engine.
In spite of the Increased fuel. The last of the third serios of economy of modern cars many own-Tectures was delivered at the Royal ers, compelled to study upkeep Automobile Club, Perth, W.A., by costs, are attempting to run on very the Technical Adviser (Mr. H. These lectures have dealt low grade motor spirits, but these Mason). attempts do not end always with with the parts that go to make up satisfaction, us modern engines in the motor car, and it was thought their standard form run at their fitting, that the last lecture should best only on first or second grade be on how a car may be so managed fuels.
as to ensure its long life and per- feet running.
In addition to the correct heat producing carbon, these fucla con- lain elements which make the rato of flame travel in the cylinders As far as the development of the more suitable for a motor car en
The characteristic of a low eight-cylinder engine is concerned, sine. Even as far back as 1917, the grade petrol is not a lack of carbon, Cadillac 9 was being marketed in fut an absence of these necessary U.S.A.. and they have been mak-elementa.
low
can
ing an eight ever since. It is not However, in the low grade faels generally known that there was an there are other components of very
in I eight-cylinder Chevrolet made
volatility which
be 1919. In Europe Italy made the brought into use by the action of Isanta-Fraschini 8 in 1920, and the heat. Therefore, the first essen Lancin 8 in 1992. England had the tial for use of these fuels is a "hot Leyland 8 in 1920, and France pro spot," which should be situated at duced the Darracq 8 and the Do the junction of the carburetter pipo Dion 8 in 1920, the Bugatti 8 in and the induction manifold. 1922, and the Panhard 8 in 1928. should be arranged so that the fuel One of the best known carly Ameri- particles sirike directly on the hot can eights was the Packard, which surface, and these, highly disin- has been in production since 1924. tegrated, then enter the engine. Whilst isloated eights. V, and straight in line have been marketed spot" must
It
To get the best effects the "hot be very hot, very in U.S.A. for some years past.cal, and at right angles to It is only about two years ago that e direction of the fuel | the development became general | "pray. Many engines still in and now its adoption has become service are not fitted with a hot pronounced in all lines and prico classes in America.
Whether public demand-the only deciding factor-will ensure the future popularity of this type of engine, yet remains to be proved.
In U.S.A., with-its vast petrol sup plies and low retail prices for fuel and oil, obviously cust, of petrol does not play such an important part as it does in this country, with petrol cosing approximately threo times as much, mainly owing to the
The lecturer explained that no matter what good quality materials go to make a car, whatever price is paid that the best purchaseable shall be procured, if that machino is not handled correctly and with intelligence, it cannot, at any timel during its life, give that excellence i of service that is intended by the designer and the manufacturer. It is therefore necessary that every ear owner shall be a good driver. the first essential being that he shall thoroughly understand the car Those of which he is in charge. people who have attended the course of lectures have commenced to tread in the correct path, for it is quite impossible to manage any piece of machinery properly unless one has a good knowledge of how that machinery operates.
The Preliminary Inspection. In order that all phases and cir- cumstances of driving might be dealt with it was imagined that the car owner left his home in Perth spot, and as this job is a little be with the intention of proceeding to yond the average owner-driver, he the Yallingup Caves. Having should turn his attention to provid-packed the car with the necessary ing a hot air intake to the carburet personal luggage, the owner should ter This can be done by fit examine the car's tyres, potrol tank, } ting a sheet metal muff around the radiator and oil level, observe that| exhaust and carrying & tube from the ammeter and oil indicator are the muff into the carburetter intake, working profectly and generally sa- The muit should be long, and tisfy himself that his car is in per- retained around the exhaust should fect running order. He should be a clearance of about one-third spend a few moments sitting in his the diameter of air pipe.
car listening to the beat of the en- gine. By this means his car will become attuned to what is the cor- rect and normal engine sound and should that sound vary at any fu ture time, due probably to mechanical defect, the change of tune will immediately make known to the driver that all is not well.
It
Some method of admitting cold Federal Government collecting air must be fitted on this pipe.
tád, on every gallon of petrol used. is a good plan to make this adjust Ever since the advent of the auto-able from the driver's seat, as fair mobile, engineers have been strivy close temperature limits are ng for two things-power and necessary to obtain good results. economy of operation and it is If the air is too cold, loss of power these two factors that to-day have and inflexibility will noticed, many Australian motorists think- while if the air is too hot, detona Ing. Power is desirable, and
intion or "pinging" will result when many instances essential, but the the engine is pulling hard. economic value of a motor car and
be
some
The correct methods of declutch-
Even if you paid considerably more you could
not get more satisfying motoring, or ownership,
than you are offered in this new Buick !
In all Buick's twenty-five years of achievement it has never produced a series of cars of such outstanding beauty, comfort, performance or value. On this reputation Buick owners are buying the new Buick with the same confidence with which they have purchased preceding Buicks.
In this space we could not possibly enumerate the many features and advantages that contribute to the remarkable popularity of this new Buick. You must see it — and ride in ft --—= to appreciate why Buick is the car that satisfies so completely.
114" Wheelbase Buick Models 118" Wheelbase Buick Models. 124" Wheelbase Buick Models 132" Wheelbase Buick Models
G$1,530 to G31,056 G$1,820 to G$1,930 G$2,160 to G$2,195 G$2,160 to G$2,705
THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR
Telephone 30228.
CO., LTD.
33, WONG NEI CHUNG ROAD, HAPPY VALLEY.
The BUICK 8
Practice Makes Perfect. The audience were informed that
ing, engaging gears and letting In the clutch were then dealt with. These, the lecturer stated, were most important as the incorrect use of the transmission imposed enor mous straina on such parts of the road signals, correct gear changing. car as the clutch, the crankshaft, correct brake application and the the gear box and the rear axle. general good management of the The car was then regarded as bay car, they are really very poor ing been moved out of the owner's drivers. In
garage, all ready at the road side to move away. The good driver will, en every ocasion, move the car from even though they might consider stationary position with a per themselves drivers of experience, fectly smooth motion. No jerking they could become still more ex- should be permitted, and if, due to perienced drivers if only they lack of practice, the driver does would when taking out the car, re permit the car to jerk, he shouldgard every run as driving practice, stop, and again practise that move egard very movement of the car off until he is quite satisfied that as a test of their ability, try to do no part of the car has been sub-everything as perfectly as possible, ject to strain. The comfort of the change gears absolutely without passengers must be considered also, noise and under no circumstances
Generally speaking, It will be motor truck is governed by what found that if an engine runs well it gives back to the user in service, and economically on first grade and the cost of that service.
petrol, a change to a low grade will Everything being equal, the big necessitate a slightly richer mix- powered motor vehicle is just as as-ture for good running. It may be ceptable to the Australian motor- found that even with "hot spotting" ist as it is in America, but operat- and air heating that about 15 per ing costs, apart from initial outlay, cent. enrichment of mixture are far from being equal, and necessary to stand detonation, and consequently running expenditure in this case the use of a very low is definitely higher in this country. grade fuel will certainly give no We can derive all the benefits that improvement in economy, owing to acerue from using eights just the the higher rate of consumption.
In conclusion, it may be stated same as they do overseas, but un- fortunately we cannot run them at that there are engines with fairly the same fuel cost. Maybe by the high compression that will burn hydrogenation process of distilla- extra low grade without knocking, tion of our brown deposits or the but in the average case it is only discovery of oil in commercial quan- possible to make the change when titles, petrol may yet be produced owner is prepared to sacrifice a In the Commonwealth, and in that certain amount of engine efficiency.
direction appears to be the only Lope of petrol prices coming down. to the existing financial conditions, This in an aspect of growing implus the price of petrol, by those portance in Australia, and one that catering for Australia's automo- must be considered with due regard | bile needs.
Many drivers who are only just permit the car to jerk, move off too capable of causing a car to proceed rapidly or operate in such a man- along the road consider themselves her as to in any way inconvenience good drivers, yet when one consi- the passengers in the car, for after dera such points as road courall, even though a person becomes i tesies, the correct giving of the best driver in the world, no
harm has been done by the prac-| tice which has brought about that! happy state of affairs.
'Tilt-Test" Reveals Chrysler Safety.
TP842
25 30
01:551
One of the most important factors of safety on the road is a low centre of gravity. That the new Chrysler Eight, through its double-drop frame e onstruction and its all-stoel low swung body, has that fa ctor le graphically pictured above. This Chrysler Eight sedan is tilted at an angle of 60 á fees from the horizontal and is resting Nightly upon a Stanis which would crush under the weight of a few pounds. It took but the push of a little finger to right the car, which weighnapproximately 8,500 pounds.
Traffic regulations should be ob served in every detail. They have not been compiled without fore- thought--they were not put to gether by inexperienced, flllberate persons, but by a committee chosen for its extensive knowledge of roads and trafile and these. regulations are for the safety and not for the inconvenience of the travelling public.
The giving of road signals was particularly stressed, and the per- nicfous habit that some people have of flicking out thefr hand and im- mediately withdrawing it when they intend turning a corner, was roundly condemned. When the driver of a car signals his inten-. tion of either stopping, turning or manoeuvring a car in any manner, he does so not solely for the con
venience of his fellow road users, but mainly for his own safety and for the preservation of the, paint of his car.
2
It was deplored that the old time raad courtesies which produced road cameraderie (now so conspicu- ous by its absence), had apparently died, a very unnatural death, A Fellow motorist hung up on the road side may only require a span- uer that he may, "proceed on his way, yet how often will 100 motor lats pass a fellow in distress and never for one moment consider nak ing him if he requires any assist- ance.
The Liao, in which large, fce blocks and foes moved adrift up and down on the tide, giving loud orack- ing sounds as they came into con tact were frozen up in the cold wave that visited Yingkou on anuary 6, as everywhere else in Bouth Manchuria, Foot traffic across the frozen surface was com menced on the 6th instant.
The Eights with Buick's Prestige
6-9
A DEPENDABLE
D
EIGHT
luxurious and economical
Owners of the Dodge Eight-in Line find it a truly economical motor car... It has the de- pendability so typical of all Dodge cars. It requires little in attention or maintenance; de- livers its smooth, vigorous power with surprisingly low fuel and oil consumption The safe, silent Mono-Piece Steel
Bodies are squeakproof, rattle- proof, exceptionally roomy and comfortable. The internal hy-- draulic brakes need no lubri- cation or equalising adjustments
In economy as well as in power and masterful perform- ance, the Dodge Eight-in-Line is a sound choice for those who ask much of a motor car.
DODGE BROTHERS
SOUTH CHINA MOTOR CAR CO.
Tel. 25644.
33, Des Voeux Road Central.
Tel. 25644.