THE STORY OF TRIPLEX.
HOW MR. "HENRY FORDE ACCIDENT HELPED.
Hidden away ninongst the multi. tude of wordy clases in the much- „discussed Regulations concerning the Construction and Use of Moter
issued in January, 18 one which makes safety glass compul- sory on, the windscreets and front windows of all vehicles, except the top docks of buses. -
Motorists may be forgiven if they
have not noticed the clause, because for Boveral years now Triplex has been a commonplace on private curs, and today the phrase "Tri- plex all round" ir a sine qua non of oven the cheapest motorens specification,
The story behind this state of affairs is an exceptionally interekę. ing one. It was in 1012 that Mr. Reginald Dolpech introduced safe- ty-glass to Great Britain, and founded the Triplex Safety Glass Company. He had an uphill fight, however, for the open car was the order of the day, and saloons were almost unknown.
S
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1931.
MOTOR NOTES.
READMISSION OF AUTOMOBILES.
U.S.A. REGULATIONS
MODIFIED.
"The regulations governing ro-
admission of automobiles taken aboard for non-commercial use have been modified..............
NOTES FROM EVERYWHERE. - ›
OLD IDEAS IN NEW VEHICLES.
There can be no greater fallacy than to condemn some device merely because it has been tried; Jeers ago, and found wanting. Readers of long experience of the use of commercial motora will recall many | examples of the truth of this state-
ment.
:
[
MISS 1931
MOTORCYCLE.
In these times of women's eman-
natter which ranks first. The ex- planation, no doubt, is that nearly. everyone who buys a new car tö day alrendy has some motoring excipation it seems a strange thing perience, and has learned that that, although every day there are Batisfaction is much more likely to more women motorcyclists, no be obtained from a car which can
hold its own on the road than one special machines are made for their formance" and, perhaps, very little cyclist who contributes to Motor which has a good showroom per-use. "Carbon," the pioneer motor.
else to recommend it. MACHINES THAT PRINT AND ISSUE BUS. TICKETS,
...
bave ever been before, but I know of only one maching on thò market built with an, opon frame to accom modate a skirt. Why this should be
is difficult to understand.
'You'
14
will probably say that the modern short skirt does not demand hand, feel that it does and, in any an open frame. I, on the other
public officials in the country are not usually to be found in knee-
Cycling, raises the point in the eurense, district nurses and women rent issue when he says:- "It is fairly safe to there are Dore women
|
that
inotor-
length skirts and cannot be expect. ed to wear breeches. Sox equality
"Article 441, Customs Regula tions of 1923, has been modified: This article covers automobiles and other vehicles, boats, teams, and Quite often recently, says The The progress which is being made saddle horses taken abroad for non-Commercial Motor, have wo come in the development of the portable 'clists at the moment than there in this case has not come about." commercial use. They may be re- neroas examples of this. One is out- nachina for ticket issuing and admitted without payment of duty standing the forward-control' printing, suitable for use by the upon compliance with certain re chassis. As a design, this is almost | conductors of publio-service vehic gulations, as follows: "The owner, na old as the motor vehicle itself, les, is slow, but may be anid to may, before the article goen abroad, and certainly as old as the commer- be sure, states The Commercial have customs collectors examine it cial motor vehicle as we are now Motor.
and issue a certificate of registra-Roquainted with it. tion on Forni 4455. If no additioris
or repairs have been runde, and the
or jamming, easy to operate, ac- curate, and proof from tampering.
The chief requirements of such n' device are that it shall be com It was unsuccessful in the old Then came the War, and the do mand for Triplex for the Navy.
days for a double reason. Design-pact, light in weight, free from Army, Air Force, and even am- article upon readmission is accomers failed to make the engine auf-ability to mechanical breakdown munition factories, was enormous.panied by the owner or his agent,ciently accessible, and engines were "By 1918 the output had risen to it may be admitted without entry, such that frequent access was de-
qi annual rate of approximately other than baggage declaration, 120,000 square feet, it after the
upon présentation of the customs sirable. Neither of those cbjre- Armistice it naturally declined. cortificate of registration, or in the tions prevalls to-day. The growth of the closed type of ense of an automobile the state car augured well for the future, registration card, or in the case of but recovery was confessedly slow. aircraft the certificate of registra Then, on March 31, 1027, Mr. Henry tion of the Department of Com merce, provided these certificates satisfactorily identify the article, If the article is not accompanied by the owner or his agent, or when it has received additions or altern tions abroad, it may still be ad- mitted upon a baggage declaration if covered by customs certificate sibilities of a new proposition. of registration, or in the case of
an automobile the state registra tion tard, or in the case of aircraft the certificate of registration of the
Ford had a motor nccident. Mr. Delpech cabled him in hospital, as follows: "Regret to hear of your gecident. Trun you have not been cut by broken ginan. Fit Triplex and be kafo, Triplex, London."
Now, Mr. Henry Ford' has never been slow to appreciate the póa.
Seven months later he signed-a- contract for the standardisation of Triplex on all Ford cars in America, Within a few months it was obtain- able as a standard extra on many of the more important British inakes. The tide hnd turned. It (could not be long before some manufacturera fitted it as standard. In actual fact the first. British concern to do so on all models was
the Riley. Company. in October,
1928,
Department of Commerce. Repairs or additions not incidental to use abroad made abroad, are dutiable upon their value at the rate at which the article self would be dutiable if imported and must be covered by an entry or baggage doolaration."-By courtesy of the Dolar Steamship-Line and Ameri. can Mail Line.
After eighteen years of uphill fight, safety glass has been recognis
Other manufacturera followed. muit, and the rosult was soosi much a demand for Triplex that the old works at Willesden wore unable to cope with it, and grent new worki at King's Norton were purchaseded by legislators and is made com and equipped. To-day there is nulsory. This is possibly the grea hardly a make of car on the market test tribule that has ever been paid that has not "Triplex all round]" to a single manufacturer, and it in the standard specification. In may fairly be claimed that Mr. 1939 the output was approximately Delpech has done more than any 2,000,000 square feet.
single man in England to promote the safety of the motoring public.
(Continited on next Column.)
GOING
HOME ON LEAVE ?
If so, The following will interest you :—
EXAMPLE OF CAR ON THE DEFERRED PAYMENT SYSTEM OVER EIGHTEEN MONTHS'
To new tar, say
Deposit-pre quarter
Interest
£200. 0. 0. 50.. 0. 0.
£150.0. 15. 7. 6. £166. 7. 6.
Balance of £185. 7. 6. to be paid in 18 monthly instalments
of £0. 8. 9.
To Deposit paid.
•
5igatalments of £99.9.
FINAL ADJUSTMENT
To re-purchase price-65% of £200.
Rebate on interest
Less 18 instalments stili duo ...
Cash landed to Purchaser
To Deposit and five instalmenta pail
Thirteen instalments still duo ....
£ 50. 0. 0...
45.18. 9.
€ 95, 18. 9.
£180. 0. 0. 6. 8. 11: £180. 8. 11.
119. 8. 9.
ACTUAL COST OF MOTORING FOR BIX MONTHS
Ios repurchase and rebate on interest
Cost of motoring for six months
or £13. 9. 1. per month.
2 17. 0. 2.
93, 18, 9, 119. 8. 9.
£215. 7. 6. 186, 8. 11.
£ 78, 18, 7,
The above proposition applies to say, make of car, new' or sooond-hand. We can also arrange to have a car and chauffeur to mpet you at the docks, to take you and your luggage anywhere, more reasonably and more comfortably than by rail.
*All our cars both new and used are sold under a repurchase guarantee.
LEAVE CARS, LTD.,
Upper St. Martin's Lane, London, W.0.2.
WEITE FOR BOOKLET..
Local Agents: JAMES A. BACKHOUSE, LTD., 14, Chater Road.
It would appear that two specific. types are necessary, one for the- Metropolitan and other city areas where there are extremely short under one shilling, and the other stages, and fares practically always
more suitable for long-distance work involving tickets represent ing fairly large amounts.
Another example, not yet so fre quently encountered, yet increa singly evident, is in the location of the front axle. Placing it far- ther back, in its relation to the forward end of the chassis, is an other way of increasing load space
It may, of course, be possible to without decreasing manoeuvrability combine these functions in the one increasing the wheelbase. This machine, but whataver be done, device, too, was tried a long time the requirements for London should ago but abandoned because, in the light of the knowledge and experiany way those of the greater part not be considered as resembling in ence then available, the steering of the remainder of the country. was too heavy. Modern ateering geare and scientific designs of ateoring pivot and stub axlo have overcome that trouble, and yet an- other prejudice, formed by experi enco of early designs, is going by the board.
PILLION INSURANCE
GRIEVANCES.
BRITISH MOTOR CRAFT-BUT U.S.A, ENGINESI
17
Next June an important series of motor boat races will be held in Southampton Water between American and British craft com- peting for the Detroit News 5- litre trophy, which was captured for this country by II. Scott Paine at Detroit Rast September, One A wordy battle is waging in the correspondence columns of Motor of the rules confines the engines Cycling on the subject of compul-which may be used in the com- sory third-party insurance for peting boat to certain specified units of American make, and a motorcyclists, Whilst the majority
correspondent in The Motor Bunt of riders do not express .resent.
points out that in view of the ment at the fact that third-party
strong trend towards "Buy Bri- insurance has been "inade compu)-
tish," an effort should be made to have the rules altered to allow
sory under the terms of the Road Traffic Act, many of them complain bitterly of the unfriendly attitude of insurameo.companies towards motor-cyclists and of the high rates charged,
One of the most serious grievan ces is against the imposition by ismurance companies of an extra charge if anyone other than the holder of the policy is to ride the machine, and resentment is felt, too, at the additional charge of 50 per cent. if a pillion passenger
is to be carried.
Colour is given to the general belief amongst motorcyclists that this charge is unfair, by a report recently prepared by Mr. C. G. Williams in conjunction with the British Motorcycle Rebearh Associa tion and the Research Association of British Motor and Allied Manu-. facturers. This report, compiled after exhaustiva tests, showed that the carrying of a pillion rider on a solo machine introduced no new rink And, as Motor Cycling points out, there are thousands of riders who regularly take a pas senger but never take a risk.
-BRITAIN BECOMING-
**MOTOR-MINDED.”
Motorcar dealers tell me that there is a change coming over the attitude of the averago buyer of smmall car, writers "Focus" in The-Light-Car- und-Cyclecar.--In- the past he used to bring along his wife and daughter, and if they were satisfied he was, too, In 1031," however, ef gather that the answerTM
"What will she do is the
English engines to participato,
"Why," he asks, "should tho Englishman be forced to use an American engine, and, ineidontal-
provide free advertisement for the manufacturers, when facts have proved that England can, and doce, build the finest engines in the world One would be far more inclined to give praise to the win- ner, should he be an Englishman, if one know that he captured the terphy with the aid of British brains only."
CARS SUFFER FROM COLD, TOO!
Many motorists, writes" Focus in The Light Car and Cyclecar," make a mistake during the winter" months in not blanking off a part of the radiator-n trick well known' I'to
most drivers of commercial vehicles, as anyone. can seo, who keeps his eyes open. 1. have mado a careful test recently of a car, first with the whole of its radiator ex
posed and afterwards with about
wan
one-third of the radiator blanked t♫ with nipices of sheet aluminiuin, . There an improvement in m.p.g. averaged over 500 miles, and aluminium sheet, was in place of petrol consumption when the
there was also a noticeable improve- ment in the general running. The ail consumption fell appreciably, however, which suggests that it is probably a better plan to blank, off the upper part of the radiator then the tower part. After all, it is the cylinder black that needs keeping warm, not the sump.
Stop!
DON'T BUY A CAR
UNTIL YOU HAVE
SEEN
THE NEW
FATSI
4 CYLINDER
6 CYLINDER
ARRANGE FOR AN EARLY DEMONSTRATION
AGENTS:
་་་
A. GOEKE & COMPANY,
Showroom:
FIAT GARACE: 350, Hennessy Road.
SPARE PART DEPARTMENT:"
OHINA BUILDING, 4TH FLOOR.
TELEPHONE 22221.
Service:
LANCIA CARACE: 348, Hennessy Road,
"ALWAYS IN FRONT"
SOCONY
GASOLINE plus MOTOR OIL
STANDARD OIL CO, OF NEW YORK