10
MOTORING
BRITAIN'S CARS.
DIFFICULTIES OF EXPORT TRADE.
STEADY
PROGRESS.
[FROM A LONDON CORRISPONDENT.]
NOTES
(CONTD.)
WHY TYRES WEÁR UNDULY,
It
A mysterious complaint, BAYA The Commercial Motor, attacked solid tyres in the shape of data which formed on the tread, six of eight flats being disposed sym
tetrically round the wheel. was noticed that, they only occur red on the tyres of front wheels' and at last was found to be due to a dither that is set up in the steering.
THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1st, 1928.
SPEED DASH IN DESERT.
CAPT. CAMPBELL'S NEW ATTEMPT
ARMED GUARD AGAINST ARABS.
MILES OF SAND AS IDEAL TRACK.
LONDON, July 11th,
"Plans were completed yesterday for the greatest of all motor speed
FACTORS WHICH CONTRI- BUTE TO WEAR.
HOW THEY MAY BE"
CONTROLLED.
The question of tyre wear is one that interests all motorists and perplexes many. One driver will get good mileage results from a set of tyres, while another," using exactly similar ones, will get con- siderably less.
CHINESE.
SCENE.
FOREIGN FRILLS BUT STILI:
THE HIGH COLLAR
CHINESE ADAPTATION OF
WESTERN MODES.
BURIED ROMAN CITY.
COMPANY TO PROBE SECRETS OF GIBRALTAR'S PAST.
GIBRALTAR. Much interest has been aroused here by the formation of a company for the purpose of excavating on the Kite of the ancient city of Car- teia in the neighbourhood of the Rock.
While laying the foundations of the spot last year & bouees at Spaniard named Evaristo Ramos unearthed a marble sarcophagus and other Phenician and Roman relice.
Prominent people interested in the new company, which has been granted exclusive rights, include the Marquis of Bute, who owns an estate in the vicinity, the Duke of Alba, and Señor J. A. Moreno, the Director of the Spanish Banco del Credito.
THE LIFE OF TYRES. FASHIONS FOR FAIR straightforward and erect, on the end of a slender neck completely encared in the stiff high collar which the average Chinese lady is "Until the loath to part with.. high neck goes nobody can say that SHANGHAI DANCE PARTY Chinese girls are completely for eignited, volunteered the obsery- ing one.
Daring In Spota This is for the most part true, though we are told that occasional ly a returned student from Europe or America brings back to her native land a complete outfit of foreign style dresses without re gard to the traditional notes in An occasional query is, voiced on Chinese dress. She will wear these a Shanghai evening at a dancing on occasion, but always in her place as to whether Chinese girls wardrobe will be found, also, the are not becoming more and more other kind of dress in which she foreignized in their dress, says the confesses to feel more at hoine still. North China Daily News. Only The well-bred Chinese girl is dar- the other evening the writer sawing only in spots.. Her neckline The factors that have to be con-
three Chinese girls of good family continues to be conservative,
Naturally, however, the question sidered are apeed, temperature and enter an out-of-door ballroom with
a large party. Their appearance arises on seeing some of the de- weather, road surfaces, starting was ravishing, mainly through the lightful, almost foreign confections and stopping, inflation and loads, novelty of full-fledged foreign in fabric worn in the evening by diameter of wheels and centre of dress. Other ladies in the party Chinese girla of Shanghai, where of decidedly foreign cut.
wore the conventional light colour these are made. They rarely come non-utility, but vastly attractive, gravity, brake adjustments, aligned and figured silk, straight-lined, from foreign shops, more rarely paraphernalia to put the finishing bell-sleeved and high-collared. But still from foreign dressmakers. touch to the soignee can be pur- A Chinese ment, mechanical adjustment, etc. the three young ladies who burst One very well known Chinese indy, chased in this shop. Tests have shown that one set of upon the admiring view of group the wife of a Chinese diplomat; customer sees before her also on the. racks a few modela strictly Chinese tyres ran 12,000 miles at 35 miles tulle frocks, with skirts composed who spent a number of years in of foreigners' near at hand, wore high in official circles in the north
in style, or modified Chinese or al- Framed prints Paris, did have her frocks made together foreign. per hour, while another set of of layers of filmy frills, such as
progressive spirit in identical quality gave only 6,000 are the secret desire and joy of at an expensive local dressmaker on the wall help to encourage her current season. One was in black or ago. But this Indy wore dress. And no eyebrows are lifted on the sunbaked surface of these miles at 50 miles per hour under every woman in Shanghai at the while she was in Shanghai a year in showing
should she explain in a slightly with touches of silver, another in foreign style entirely, with cent. pl the imports in 1923, they down tyre life with great rapidity, desolate wastes officials will mark the same conditions Thus, an insale flesh-colour shading to tones elegance upon which a foreign self-conscious way that she wants"
of deep rose and still another in lady might well cast envious eyes, foreign-style dress made for nor did she hesitate to pay 8200 evening. If she says a high neck, for having a single gown made for it is sufficient that she is still her. But she is voted the excep- conservative in her drees. tion and not the rule. ladies are traditionally successful at getting good results from their inilors, but this applies only to Chinese style of dress.
A substantial increase in the sales of British cars Overseas is report ed from several parts of the Em- pire, the position in New Zealand being particularly encouraging. During the first three months of 1820 one car in every ten sold in the Dominion was British, but in the frat quarter of 1928 the ratio had risen to one in every five. For the first time since pre-war days two British firms were numbered among the six lending makes in Newtyre bouncing. Zealand, whereas in the correspond ing quarter last year American vehicles occupied the first six places with substantial majorities.
Again, in East Africa, the statis trs published by the Royal East Africa Automobile Association show that great strides were made by British ears in 1927. From one per
comprised 22 per cent, of the total Just year.
It is good news to hear, too, that further preference is to be given to British motor vehicles and spare parts by the Government of South ern Rhodesia, and it is to he hoped that this concession will lead to big increase in the use of British
enry.
|
3
For months, past Capt. Malcolm Campbell has sought far and wide in Britain and on the Continent for a suitable stretch of sand on which to make an attempt to re- gain for Britain the world's fastest land speed record.
High speed is one of the known causes of tread wear, and it has been found by experiment that the rate of wear will double between 33 m.p.h. and 50 mp.h, whilst a difference in atmospheric tempera-adventures. ture of 40 deg. Fahr. (from 60 deg.. to 100 deg.) will, through the softening of the rubber, increase the wear two and a half times. Improper inflation will cause difference in mileage of 25 per cent., over-inflation resulting in much the same as under-inflation, the load being too great for the air pressure in the tyre. It is as serted that 90 per cent. of vehicles have their brakes maladjusted to less or greater degree, whilst well known to misalignment is cause undue tyre wear; and, last but not least, bad driving will cut
Overloading is
theless, each year 1245 a limited number of British cars bought by Americans who are willing to pay the heavy import duty in order to secure the quality and longevity. thus assured. For instance, when Major Segrave was, in the States with the 1,000 hin. record breaking Sunbeam, he had with him also a The United States.
standard litre sports model. He The United States of America is was literally besieged with world. undoubtedly the most difficult mar-be buyers of this car and, had there ket in the world for the British ene been a stock of Sunbeams available manufacturer. The large selection in America when the record was of home produced cars from which made, they would undoubtedly all the American. motorist can choose, have been bought up in a few hours. and the extremely high duties on imported ears have prevented British makers from developing business of any magnitude,. Never
(Continued on next Column).
His quest is now ended. He is
to take his car into the heart of
the Syrian desert in Arabia. Here
out the mile course.
The spot selected is far from civilisation, aliout 200 miles cast of Damascus, on French territory.
This part of the desert is infest- ed with tribes of marauding
erease of 15 miles per hour doubled the rate of tread wear.
Tread
wear is more rapid as temperature goes up, and it is shown that temperature has even greater effect than speed on
ал
Arabs, who are a source of terror the rate of tread wear: Rubber to the few travellers who set foot softens as it gets hot and, conse
mauve.
in this arid and lonely place. Dur-quently, the trend is more suscep-selves well to the bouffant frilliness
On the other ing the preparation for and the tible to abrasion.
•
actual attempt on the record Cap-hand, moisture on the road or the tain Campbell's party will, it is tyre tools and stiffens the tread, A Detroit owner of ah.p. Sun-understood, have the protection of so that in wet whether tread wear beam has recently expressed his en-
soldiera armed with is slower than in dry. tire satisfaction with the car and French propodes ordering "a litre model machine guns. Being on French Road surfaces play a very im- shortly.
territory the timing of the record portant part in tyre wear, but the will be done by French official contention is put forward that im timekeepers.
proved roads, instead of extending the life of tyre tread, have really had a tendency to shorten it, be- cause of the fact that they permit high speed for longer periods of time.
SAFETY FIRST-
EVERYWHERE.
Every House, Garage or Car, Every School, Office, Godown, Hotel, or other Public Building, should Avoid the Danger of Fire by installing
IMPERATOR
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
One might well ask why in view of all the difficulties Capt. Camp- bell has selected such an outlandish place. The answer is that only in the land of the Bible and the coun- try of the camel can be found a suitable site on which to let his car have full throttle with reasonable degree of safety.
Miles Of Desert.
a
The idea, I understand, first came from Air Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker, Director of Civil Aviation, who has twice flown over the Syrian desert, Hearing of Capt. Campbell's search, he wrote suggesting the possibilities there.
In order to demonstrate the. effect of starting and stopping, & car driven, at 35 miles per hour was brought to a dead stop every quarter of a mile without locking the wheels but na quickly as pos- sible, and then immediately no celerated to 35 miles per hour
again. As a result one-half of the tread was worn away in 108 miles.
The inflation of tyres is a mal- ter which very many motorists are apt to neglect. Its importance may be judged by the fact that two sets of tyres, one run at recom mended inflation and one h under-inflated showed a diference in mileage of 25 per cent. Over inflation can be even more destrue tive.
The driver who uses his tyres away carefully, drives at a normal rate, accurately inflated, starts
"It sounds ridiculous at first sight," he wrote, "but I think it is worthy of consideration. There are miles and miles of absolutely | retaining the smooth, dat desert, over which care
are driven at 70 m.p.h. by night without any discomfort to the oc- cipants."
Mr. Day" Keech, the American
The Imperator is the most powerful driver who lowered Capt. Camp-
powder Fire extinguisher in existence and is guaranteed to be proof against explosion.
"
It hurls a jet of powder 12 to 18 yards which is far more efficacious than water, but it is so easy to handle that anyone with- out previous experience, even a child, can work it
J
The Imperator powder keeps good indefinitely, Is non-corrosive, odour... less, causes no damage to furniture, "draperies, etc., and gives off no fumes.
For a small first cost Imperators are a perpetual safe-guard and insurance against damage to life and
property by Fire.
bell's record by & fraction of second, averaged 207 m.p.h. over the mile course.
All For Few Minutes, The actual attempt on the record lasts but a few minutes. For these few minutes Capt. Campbell will Take his car, which is too fast to travel on any roads, a distance of 2,500 odd miles by land and Take an immense lorry, equipped with a tractor, 2,500 miles by land and sea to haul his racing ear across the difficult country from Datnaseus out into the de- "Bert:
sen;
Take a small army of mechanics, timing officials, and the camber- soune electric timing equipment; Take an armoury to protect his
party; Forma camp and provision it as
a base for his attempt.
اول
reserve for emer geney, and pulls up cautiously will get most wear from a set of tyres.
HIGH SPEED AT BROOK- LANDS:
NEW HUDSON TRIUMPH.
Among a number of successes at other meetings New-Hudson scored magnificent win in the 500, c.c. class 200 miles face at Brooklands. In the capable hands of Herbert Le Vack, the New-Hudeon o.h.v. 493 e.c. model won at the amazing speed of 4.85 m.p.h., making four new world's records en route. Le Vack had a notrouble run and secured his win at a speed nearly 15 m.p.h. faster than last year's winner.
SENIOR T.T.
The weather conditions at this year's Senior T.T. race were very trying, varying as they did from mist and rain to thick fog on the "I have set my heart on regain- mountains. Such a combination ing the record, and the Syrian de called for the utmost grit and sert stems to me the best place," endurance on the part of rider and Capt. Campbell told me last night. | machine alike, including, of course,
I have made a thorough search. components.
The Daily Mail searched Britain
for me.
It is significant that the winning I personally inspected practically the length of the coast machine which achieved 62.98 m.p.h. Denmark. There were miles of was fitted with Renold chain, as A.J.S.. which finished
It is better tobe sure than sorry!nds there, but none, in my second and the fifth and steth
To-day is the time to get full particulars of the Imperator from
ORIENTAL COMMERCIAL CO.
Bank of Canton Buildings.
Tel. C. 4403.
[A.P.3.1]
opinion, suitable.
HARDY OSRAM BULBS.
"Daytona is good, but you may machines. have to wait days for the sands to be in a suitable condition. Then again, at Daytona you have the aca one side and the crowds the other. anything makes me ner vous, it is the fear that, something may wrong and the car run among the crowd. In the desert" there will be no crowd. The aur face, I am told, is hard clay, which should be faster than sand, though the tyres will be a, difficult problem owing to the heat. I hope to be ready to set out for Syria early in September,
While on the subject of compon- ents and accessories, Captain de Normanville, the well known motor correspondent, recently had a lamp bulb failure on his car, and found that this was the first head or side lamp failure in 21,384 miles accord- ing to his speedometer. The bulbs in question were Osram and such testimony seems worthy record.
OS
AX
Chinese
All the
Is It Only Conservatism? In general, despite the occasional appearance of foreign clothes on Chinese ladies, the custom is by
120
Films And Frivolities. Comment was rife. "Are Chinese girls beginning to succumb to the frivolities of the foreign" mode "i Is the foreigu type of dress a becoming to them as their own!"
means widespread, even Eyes were again turned on the
Specialized Creations. trio, and it had to be confessed.
amongst the younger set who will that their slender figures lent them- One shop at least, however, 18try most things. And as for the to the writer where high collar, one cannot help won- known of tulle which seemed to float about "creations" in the real sense of the dering just a fraction of a bit them like shadows as they danced. word are specialized on for Chi- whether perhaps, here too vanity Scrutiny brought out the further nese ladies. This shop situated does not enter in as much as con- A Chinese girl, who tennis and other fact that these bright young things in the western district has a smart servatism. wore exceedingly high-heeled shoes, clientele of Chinese ladies. It dis had played
A foreign and that, their slim silk-stockinged plays a wide selection of fabrics athletic prowess in legs were visible
to the knee to the view, both Chinese and university, and had thereby shed stuffs being. included. some of her inhibitions about' through sheer nes in layers which French decreased in thickness as it rip- Their cabinets are filled with in- foreign dress, etc., told the writer
numerable novelties. covered in the that as long as Chinese girls had" pled towards the floor.
and thin shoulders and undeveloped Then someone drew attention to term accessories of dress,
from lame bags and necks (this was a trace of tennis-- the tact that the sleek closely-ranging clipped heads, well-groomed As feather fans to glove-silk under playing swank) they would never One only Chinese girls are able to keep things and gold kid evening shoes give up, their high collars.
(Continued on next Column). wonders! then on a windy evening, were set,
Wherever you may choose to
roam you will find in Good- year Tyres that feeling of to de-
security so necessary lightful motoring.
Next Time Buy
GOOD YEAR
DISTRIBUTORS
ALEX. ROSS & Co. (China), LTD.
'Prince's Building, 2nd Floor. Ice House Street Entrance.
HONG KONG,
Telephone: Central 2487.