THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1932.
THE CHINA MAIL
ROADS AND SKIDDING.
Need For Official
Investigation.
ANTHE MOTORISTS' PAGE WE
Cheap
British 16-H.P. Sixes
THE £235 STANDARD
By John Prioleau
The second on the list of low-on the British industry. It is that
common thing priced British saloons of 15-17 ot very
a cheap horse-power six-cylinder engines motor-car that its really efficient in have been asked to try for report every respect.
Details Of Design." in The Observer is the Standard
"BABY" MOTOR CYCLES.
Economical Utility Transport,
The simplicity of the little 150 c.c. motor cycles which have come
plated lamps, cigar-lighters, aah-into the limelight since the con- trays, and so forth. The plait cession by which they are taxed at model has an unsplintering wind-only 158. a year is the chief factor screen and feather-cloth upholstery. in their favour (says "The Motor
Every road user must have notic- ed on his travels the difference be- tween the road surfaces' of one' county and those of another (says "The Motor Cycle"). Crossing the border of two counties on a wet
All essentials of equipment are Cycle" in an article addressed to day he has probably been struck by
The engine is a plain piece of identical, to the stop-lamp-a use- the fact that the road surface, from which, in its present form, is an
The bodywork of the those who are considering the pur being "skid-proof, has changed to improved edition of the "Ensign" work, of the side-valved type, I am fut fitting.
Sim. or vice of former years. This is the glad to say, with a seven-bearing saloon, which has a sliding roof, is chase of a utility vehicle). one that is treacherous,
The latter may or well-planned to give as much room plicity and reliability is the who description given in the catalogue, crankshaft. versa. A correspondent covers the greater part of his but I do not find it adequate. With may not be regarded as a luxury, as possible on a short wheelbase, mileage in Warwickshire and the a considerable knowledge of and according to the experience of the and I was not in the least cramped primary need of any form of trans- Midlands, where the majority of familiarity with Standards of all prospective buyer. My own is that either driving or as a passenger in port. Stainforth, Campbell and Co. roads, are admirably skid-proof, has surts, dating back to the original in most cases four bearings pro-front or behind. The central gear-have completely altered our ideas recently toured South Wales; here six-cylinder model produced some duce as good results as seven, at lever came too close to my left of speed, so that we talk glibly of he found the road surfaces of a time before the War, I have no all events in the case of originally knee, but there is no reason why 300 miles per hour.
After this, 85 to 40 m.p.h. does totally dissimilar character, and hesitation in giving it as my opinion well-balanced engines, but it must it should not be angled to suit in-
matter of opinion.aividual needs. I particularly liked seem a little slow. For all that, glass-like when wet. Enquiries of that, so far as can be judged on be largely a local motorists elicited the view a necessarily brief trial run, this The point is, in this instance, that the dashboard, a decent piece of it means that you can, by using a that they are by no means satis-is the best car the firm have made seven bearings cost more than four, dark polished wood in which the lightweight motor cycle of under which is a proof that the engine is gauges (all circular) are counter-150 cc, get from home to the fled with the safety of the roads. yet. South Wales is only one of many The Standard "Nine" four-cylin-an example of honest workmanship. sunk without metal flanges. A tidy office and, what is more important, from office to home in half the districts to which criticism can be der has won à deservedly high re- The bore and atroke are 65.5 by workmanlike job.
The Best Polats.
time taken by, Mỹ, a train. putation as a thoroughly efficient 101.6, making the content 2,054 c.c.,
Ignition is by The car I drove had done over
The Coet. If one roid authority can pro-light car, capable of carrying four and the tax £16.
coil, from a twelve-volt hatte. 10,000 miles in the hands, I was How many people are there liv-1 vide a top-dressing that, wet or dry, full-sized people about the counts The gear-box has four speeds, third assured, of at least 100 drivers of ing in lodgings who travel to is skid-proof, then assuredly there at a high average speed. Unless is no excuse for endangering life some defect I have no reason to being of the now almost universalvarying abilities and incapacities, their real homes each week-end, a and limb by laying down roads suspect should develop, the 16 h.p."silent" type. An open propeller doing nothing but demonstration distance, perhaps, of fifty miles! which are a danger when wet. The six-cylinder will make at least as shaft carries the drive to a spiral- work throughout that period. Ex-The ordinary return train fare for problem is in no sense a new one; satisfactory a name for itself and bevel back-axle. The eteering-gear cept for a scarcely audible click such a journey is in the neigh- complaints have been rife for the I imagine the designers could it Marles-Weller, the wheel-base 9 last ten years.
The Ministry of scarcely hope for better than that. ft. 1 in., the track 4 ft., and the Transport has available the accum-Its price is remarkably low, but overall length 13 ft. lated knowledge of all
Coachwork and Equipment. the road quite apart from considerations of authorities of the country. Con-cost this new production is a car There are two types of the Six- sequently there should be no diffi- with qualities that one usually ex-teen, the £285 and the £265. The culty now in ensuring that every pects to find only in much more only difference is that the latter road is properly treated in the mat- ambitious designs. It has certain has unsplintering glass all round, ter of its top-dressing so that, in minor drawbacks-faults is hardly furniture-hide upholstery, bifler- fair weather or foul, the surface the word in this case-but as type headlights, bumpers, and such whole it reflects very great credit unimportant extras as chromium- remains reasonably safe.
directed.
I
2
WE CORDIALLY INVITE YOU
SEE
AND DRIVE THE 1932 BUICK
TO
Ruick
The sensation of effortless driving in the 1932 Buick Eight can only be appreciated by actually driving it yourself.
The Wizard Control, Automatic Clutch, Advanced Free Wheeling, Silent Second and Synchro Mesh Transmission can be described- the marvellous action of Ride Control for rough or smooth roads can be pictured-but you can only know what it all can mean to you as a motorist, by actually operating a 1932 Buick yourself.
Please accept this as an invitation to you as motorist to drive one of our 1932 Buick Valve-in-Head Straight Eights.
THE WIZARD
CONTROL
THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR CO. LTD.
APPY TALTR
1
*
AMERICAN" TWELVE."
Now A Serious Rival Of
Eight."
K
The eight-cylinder car will receive some very serious com. petition in America this year from the new "Twelves" that
the market, and are
are on
coming.
It is being predicted that the "Twelve" may eventually take the lead over the "Eight" that the "Six" has over the "Four”.
THE LUXURY CAR in the low-prica class - beautiful interior, appoint- ments and upholstery -- roanty, full-size Safety-Steel Bodies-- Ex- clusive Floating Power and 4. Wheel Weatherproof @ cłydraulie Brakes and many other features not offered in cera of its price.
O PLYNOVIÐR
CARS NOW ON DISPLAY AT THE NATIONAL MOTOR CAR CO.
71, 73 & 75 Hennessy Road, Wanchai.
Telephone 27914.
ENTHUSIAST AT 75.
Elderly Man's 200 Miles A Day.
centenarians find it an excellent |-alternative to the bath-chair?
bourhood of 10s., and even A
The answer, of course, is that in. "cheap" ticket will cost about 78.
this particular case we obviously Fifty miles on a lightweight can
have a happy combination-a man be covered for no more than a
who has retained his youth to a ahilling; add to this all the in-!
rother more than average degree cidentals, such as depreciation, in-
and a type of machine that in parti- surance, licence and so on, and you
Seventy-five years of age and still cularly suitable for such a rider. couldn't make the double journey motor cycling-and solo at that! No doubt his allegiance to the motor cost more than three shillings-This is the justifiably proud claim cycle has assisted greatly in retain
made in a letter in the corresponding his health.
think it over!
Your lightweight will be slower ence columns of The Motor Cycle than the train, but if you take the recently. Two hundred miles a day
May he continue (to use his own
time from door to door your ma-do not tire this enthusiast, nor does words) his "race with Father Time" chine may quite easily win, for in he fight shy of Alpine passes when and maintain a useful lead for spite of its comparatively low making an annual fourney to the many more years! maximum, it can put twenty-five South of France.
miles into each hour.
LUCK?
Pratt, Ka
What conclusion shall we draw It is really surprising how quick from this noteworthy claim (asks) from, I guess, a valve-clearance, there was nothing to distinguishy you will get used to handling The Motor Cycle in a leading these little machines. You may article)? That the rider must have the engine from a new one, The outstanding features of the car's be a little nervous at first, for, after amazing vitality and control of his
Clyde. Keaton thought it a plece performance were the acceleration all, to the uninitiated it is quite an faculties for his age? Or that the
adventure to find oneself for the two-stroke motor cycle-for that is of good luck when a bit of metal and general liveliness. The car- buretter had no fat spot at any first time in charge of a mechani- the type of machine he rides--is so struck his eyebar while he was cally propelled vehicle. But you absurdly easy to handle that oc- changing a tyre. It hit the sys
togenarians, nonagenarians, and which was already blind.
will not be nervous for long.
PROBLEMS OF INSURANCE.
Meeting Claims Of Policy-Holders.
point, and the pick-up and get-away were invariably swift and definite, I do not think the maximum, in comfort, is much over sixty miles an hour, but the cruising-speed, at half-throttle, in a good fifty. There is no vibration-period, but it is just) possible to feel the engine at work. The four-wheel brakes, of the Bendix-duo-servo type, are power- ful and smooth in action, the steer- ing is light and firm (though it In the Liverpool Assizes, Mr. would be improved, I think, by a Justice Swift said that he had a larger diameter steering-wheel), strong feeling that the legislature and the suspension is excellent intended that the companies should The scandalously-laid Sutton by- be bound to meet any claim that PLES was taken easily. Gear could be established against the changing is particularly easy, and policy-holder, even though he had none of the indirect gears are failed to disclose material facts to noisy.
the company.
! Hill-Climbing.
a
B
of A peculiar kind!
a
There would seem to be little The Standard put up a very good doubt but that his Lordship has performance on my three test hills given insufficient consideration to The short hill, with a gradient of the position of the insurance com- 1 in 7, which is attacked at 20 panies. It is established that a miles an hour on top speed, was contract of insurance brilliantly climbed on the same contract gear, mostly at 27 miles an hour, it is. contract which re- with 22 as a minimum. Burgh quires
full
of disclosure Heath would certainly have been all material facts and circum- disposed of on top if we had not stances to enable the company to been baulked three times. As it assess the risk. Exempt the insur- was the speed on top and third did ed from this responsibility, and the not drop below 20 at any time. companies are placed in a eltua- Pebblecombe Hill, which has a tion of utter impossibilty, which no gradient of 1 in 5 was climbed, business man could accept with a lot in hand, on second speed. | |-
Profits Small
at between 24 and 20 miles an hour. The usual profits from motor in- Here, again, we were badly aurance are extremely small, in the beulked at the start, and I think neighbourhood of two per cent. the climb could have been done on Bind the companies as has been third, though possibly not so fast. suggested, and many would cease My main Impression of the car writing motor business; the rest is that of a specially lively, flexible might continue with an enormous engine, an excellent gear-bor increase in premium. The num thoroughly practical design, and aber of cases in which people are general feeling of staunchness. either 8285 or £255 this is
edly remarkable valge for
ally Invigorati
-drive,
unable to obtain damages because
JUST ARRIVED LATEST STYLES
OF
DODGE
ous of the new Dodge Six and Eight. sing progress that goes beyond known. Froad of their bewicy. Prox
sfort. Tropid of theke advanced body and
NOW ON SHOW AT
the ofices repudiate claims is SOUTH CHENA MOTOR CAR CO.
83.y axaggerated. We must beware
against ill-advised
which might speedily
|whole principles, upon
Des Voeux Road Cen
Tel-25664