THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1930.
MOTOR NOTES
THE COST OF MOTOR CYCLING.
TRANSPORT AT ITS CHEAPEST.
STAINLESS IRON.
CHROMIUM'S NEW RIVAL.
Among items of news received re. cently from America was one which may not have attracted the atten- It has often enough been said tion in the motor industry which that the motor-cycle is the cheap-it deserves. It has already been
ROLLS ROYCE ENGINE IN SEAPLANE.
WEIGHT 13 OUNCES PER H.P.
That the Rolls-Royce "R" engine Ford does not use stainless steel
used in the Supermarine-Rolla at all. What is being used is Royce seaplane which holds the stainless iron, a very different mat-world's record of 337.7 miles per ter. This stainless iron is known hour. weighs less than 13 ounces ia Detroi as Allegheny metal, and
per horse power has been revealed so far as can be gathered at the by Mr. A. J. Rowledge designer moment its production and use are of the engine. In his first states perhaps a Ford secret, but it is
ment made after the lifting of the probably iron treated with cad- official veil of secrecy that has en- mium. It is ductile, non-brittle shrouded the world's fastest en-
est form of transport and, bearing stated in The dAutocar, from Do- and natural, and lends itself ex-gine, Mr. Rowledge told
troit, that the 1930 Ford models, as this in mind, the would-be pur. chaser makes it his business to displayed at the New York Show, enquire more fully into the ques remain substantially the Model A It with modifications in the specifica- tion. "What does it cost? sounds good, but just what am Ition and coachwork, but have one letting myself in for ""
First of all there is the initial cost of the outfit; the "purchaser knows what amount he is prepared to spend and it only remains for, him to fix upon a reliable machine suitable for his own particular re- quirements. Then there is the tax and insurance of the outfit, and driving licence.
Obviously, the actual cost of run ning depends eatively upon the mileage covered as the total is made up of petrol, oil, renewals
most important departure. AB bright parts will be of stainless iron-not steel-in place of nickel plate hitherto,
|
traordinarily well to manipulation by pressed tools. It is impervious to any form of weather or outside influence, and no matter how it is buffed or polished it never loses its appearance, in that its polish is natural right through, so it can- not be rubbed of It has none of the brilliant blueywhite effect of chromium, and, as said before, re- sembles old polished pewter, and
Soint
Engineers and the Royal Aero- meeting of the Institution of Royal autical Society that this new en- gineering marvel develops 1,000 horse-power with a weight of only 1,530 poundy or 20 pounds per horse power.
"I believe that these figures cam be improved upon when we have had an opportunity for more de- velopment work," said Rowledge. a car so equipped does not present,The standard Rolls-Royce "H" even in the strongest light, a garish appearance.
Low Cost of the New Finish.
engine is rated at only 825 horse- power, yet it has eractly the same cylinder capacity as the "R" racing engine, This shows the necessity for experienced judgment in dec'd- ed that it is very cheap, certainlying between reliability and "per- much lower in price than stainless formance." steel is at the present time.
It may also reasonably be assum
This apparently simple announce- thent means perhaps" a great deal more than the nwre words seem to imply. Practically every manu- facturer of popular-priced cars, particularly types destined to ap peal tu..owners wha, look after the cleaning without outside help, Presumably the secret-if any-- sends out cars with bright parts of its production and manufacture such as radiator shells, door hand-will not long remain a secret, and lese hinges, bumpers, windscreen it is unreasonable to imagine that frames and often lamps finished in American manufacturers will not chromium.
follow Ford's example: If a con- siderable number of stainless iron. finished cars make their appearance on the English market, the uh- doubtedly pleasing appearance of this finish will, without question, set up a clamour for a similar metal on British cars.
and repairs. A 250 cc. machine, for instance, will do about 100 miles to a gallon of petrol and 2,300 miles to the gallon of oil; a 300°c.c. solo
What Chromium Dia. machine between 70 and 60m.p.g.
Chromium burst upon us some of petrol and 2,000 m.p.g of oil; with sidecar, this is reduced to two years ago, and became an in- 30-60 mp4 and 1,730 m. pig. resistent demand on the part of the spectively.
public Polishing could be deferred During & particularly severe test indefinitely as cleaning became a which was held last year and off-matter
inly observed by the Auto Cycle Union, a 950 cc. Ariel covered 10,000 miles on a gallon of oil and averaged 100 miles to the gallon of petrol.
Estimating the cost of renewals and repairs is a difficult question liut, if the machine is looked after
of moments. Even the
spokes of wire wheels are sometimes chromium plated. Why," then, did Henry Ford leave chromium plate out of his programme?
The question deserves a little careful examination." Whatever Ford does, or does not do, in the motor manufacturing world is matter of vital importance to his
rivals, because bile it is idle to pretend that the Ford is everyone's idea of a cheap motor car, Ford's methods are recognised as a model
properly, little trouble should be experienced during the first two years, with the exception of tyres. A front wheel tyre should last for *ight or nine thousand miles, a
a tyre approximately seven to be followed. eight thousand miles and a little
Quite obviously, therefore, Ford less where a sidecar is itted. The
was not enamoured of chromini sidecar wheel, tyre should last co-plating, and this is the more in siderably longer. These Sgures are based on the assumption that teresting in that this finish can be cheaply and extensively carried moderate roads are encountered. but, of course, they vary accordiag out in Detroit even if manufac to the conditions. Certainly ballturers do not install their own
plant. the battie is to see that the tyres
The plain fact is that Ford war are kept at the correct pressures, particulars of which are issued with evidently looking ahead and was fully conversant with atsinless every new machine.
Any size of modern solo motor-metal possibilities. In what way eyele is capable of carrying a pil does stainless metai appeal to the
Perfect Stream-lining.
The Rolls Roys "R" engine which is supercharged is v-shaped with two banks of six cylinders each. The diameter and stroke of each cylinder are 6 and 64 inches respectively Great ingenuity has bon displayed in decreasing the frontal and over all area of the engine with the result that an almost perfect job of streamlining was possible in fitting the engines into the noses of the record-break- . Herein, it seems, lies great ing Supermarine 85 which not only opening for British stainless metal broke the world's speed record over manufacturers, and it is sincerely the three-kilometre course, and re to be hoped that if the penduluintained the Schneider Trophy for of popular opinion should swing England but also hold all speed against chromium, the British iron and steel industry will be in a position to reap the harvest which undoubtedly will be to hand.
87
Any suggestion that price is like. ly to render the use of stainless metal on British cars unlikely in the future, except on a small scale, should not be Until very recently safety glass was
taken seriously.
looked upon an expensive luxury. To-day it is found in the normal equipment of practically every well-known inexpensive car. Everyone likes to see a clean ear, but very few people who look after their own vehicles have time or in- clination to do much cleaning, and constant recourse to a garage, soon mounts up
a formidable bill.
Orants amounting to £20,308 have been made by the Ministry of
Apparently the question of con structing a Solent tunnel between the Isle of Wight and..the main- land is to be dismissed as being impracticable on financial grounds,
records from three to three hundred kilometres. Yet despite its 1,900 horse power the Rolls-Royce "E" engine could be comfortably tucked under the bonnet of almost any American 100 horse power puto-
mobile.
Not only were all materials that went into the construction of the engine carefully tested for strength in relation to, weight, said Mr. Rowledge, but bench-tests of the completed engine were made under onditions approaching fight con- ditions as closely as possible. In the final bench-tests of the engine, for instance, the engine was run in a wind-stream of 300 miles an hour to determine the effect, of such air speeds on the engine's aiz intake, the removal of the exhaust ganes and the cooling effect of a wind of five mile, a minute
In conclusion Mr. Rowledge said provement in airplane engines would be in the direction of bet- ter supercharging devices for bigh altitude performance and "ground. boosting," improvement in the mat- ter of engine cooling, and new nitrogen-hardened steels for cylin- der linings and crankshafts,
lion passenger and a 3 h.p. side-motorist, or rather how is it likely Transport towards the cost of road he believed the next stages of im- car outfit will easily manage three to appeal to the notorist in Pre-widening at Liverpool. persons, so that it can readily be ference to chromium? The answer seen that motor-cycling is far from is that, given even the very best chromium, it can never look as well expensive.
There is one other important item as stainless metal, the peculiar which must be considered, namely, bluey-white tint of chromium lead- depreciation. A new machine being a cold and, to some minds, in comes second-hand immediately it elegant finish to a car, whereas the is used, and within the first year stainless iron used by Henry Ford resembles highly polished pewter, the biggest drop in value is ex-
When stainless metal has been perienced: thus, 40 per cent. must be allowed for the first year and mentioned hitherto it has been from 10 per cent, to 15 per cent, in taken to mean stainless steel Con- the following four years Although siderable strides have been made in the machine will still possess & Great Britain a the production of value, this allowance for deprecia. stainless steel, particularly by tion will have accounted for the Firth's, of Sheffield, with their initial cost. For business purposes, "Staybrite" finish, and it is widely when it may be desired to work out used for knives and other articles. the actual cost per mile, a rate of It possesses, however, one defect interest at 3 per cent. should be when looked at from the angle of charged on the value of the machine the motor car manufacturer¡, it is each year.
not cheap..
* 1930
FIRST IN HONG KONG
BRITISH MOTOR CYCLES
NORTON
MODEL NO. 18 4.90 H.P.
"Unapproachable” as the machines have proved in the past, 1980 witnesses an even finer production in NOBTON. Many important improvements are embodied in the new NORTON designs including enclosed valve gear mechanism and push rods, detachable cover for Rocker Box, improved arrangement of cylinder head layout, efficient silencer, and Chromium plating. COME AND INSPECT IT AT
THE SINCERE Co., LTD,
ا بار
SOLE AGENTS.
MICHELIN
THE NON-SKIDDING TYRE,
MICHELIN
Q
Tel. U. 2221.
Tel. C. 4821
Distributors:
A. GOEKE & Co. Tel. 0. 2221.
China Building, 4th Floor.
DEPOT FIAT GARAGE:
67, Des Voeux Road Central Tel C. 4821. We give free tyre service to Michelin owners at our Depots.
SNAPSHOTS OF A MAN MAKING OUT. HIS INCOME TAX
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
COVERS DESK WITH SHEETS BEGINS BY PUTTING BETT
OF PAPER, INCOME TAX RE- | TURNS, OLD CHECK-BOOKS, ETC.
SEARCHES FOR SHEET ON. WHICH HE HAS DONE PRE- UMINARY FIGURING
FINDS PENCIL AND PUTS BETTER POINT ON IT
(Ceowright, 1930, be The Ball Svedien
POINT ON PENCIL
FINDS IT AT LAST, LOOKS IT OVER WONDERING IF HIS AD- DITION IS ANYWHERE NEAR RIGHT
INSTRUCTION SHEET : VANISHES AMONG MASS OF PAPERS. RANSACKS DESK
READS PAGE OF INSTRUCTIONS
PENCIL HAS NOW DIS- APPEARED SOMEWHERE
UNDER PAPERS
FINDS INSTRUCTION SHEET, READS IT CARE FULLY AND GOES TO BED
HUMOUR: ANCIENT AND MODERN.
"What is that they are playing?"- "I don't know, but it must be something very, very fine, for it is very pretty.
Small Boy (weeping): "Have you seen a lady without a little boy
Pedestrian: "No. Why?" "I'm the little boy!"
་་
"Ten rents for that coat hangert Too much! Haven't you something cheaper ?"
"How about a nail, sir 7”:
Whene'er a hen lays eggs, with each She is impelled to make a speech The selfsame urge stirs human bones Whenever men lay corner-stones.
Mrs. Blabface. That new hat makes your face look short."
Mrs. Styles:That's strange. It made my husband's face look long."
Husband: "I can't make out, which is the top and which the bottom of these socks,"
Wile: "The big hole is the top and the collection of small holes is the foot."
The owner of a popular brand of Car was having trouble in starting bis engine.
After watching for ten minutes the man wrestle with the starting crank, a little boy asked his father:
"How far will it go after he has finished winding it?”....
FIAT
Hey, watch is keeping bet- ter time since I put your photo- graph inside the case.'
She: "Oh, I see. You added an- other jewel."
He wrote: Nothing you may do, dearest, can still the ocean of emo. tion in my heart.
She wrote: "Inclosed herewith, dearest, please find my last bat bill."
Small Boy. "Mister, you sell Bu tomobile parts, don't yuh 7.
Accessory Dealer: Yes, my hoy! Small Boy (displaying old inner tube and an auto horn): Well, how much would the rest of 'em "come to ?"
RECOMMEND EXCLUSIVELY
SHELL
MOTOR
OILS
Distributors:
1930
THE ASIATIC PETROLEUM CO. (S.C.), LTD. (INCORPORATED IN ENGLAND)
ASIATIC BUILDING, Howa Kowa.