Page
"FULL THROTTLE "
Book by Motor Race Expert
SIR HENRY BIRKIN TELLS
HIS ADVENTURES
thusiasm is an endearing vir tue. We can all forgive much to the fellow who's really keen on his job. And Sir Henry Birkin, Bt., is a white-hot, supercharged enthy:- sinst, as keen as the hottest curry that ever came out of Bengal,
BRITISH CARS IN NEW ZEALAND
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1933.
SPARKS
FROM THE PLUGS
JANUARY REGISTRATIONS
SURPRISE.
Tu figures for January registra- tious of new cars in New Zealand reveal that British products have made a surprising stride forward.
Five British manufacturers secur ed 62 per cent. of the car sales for the month, Austin alone with 11
cars, representing almost one, in three of new vehicles sold, or more than double the registrations of the most popular American make.
Sir Henry Birkin, Bt.. is, of purse, none other than Tim " Birkin, the fearless driyor of racing -cars, tho darling of motor-racing in driving from Fleet Street to fans, and the beloved of all who .know him.
1
Cheam :-
"About half way through the He has recently written a book, nee" (the French Grand Prix at "Full Throttle." After reading it Pau in 1930) I approached a turn you'll be filled with "Tim's ening which I was accustomed to taką thusinan-you'll long to steer a throbbing with sleek monster, power, through lines of cheering round it, I came upon a picture the
PLUS AND MINUS MOTORISTS
QUESTION OF TEMPERAMENT IN
DRIVING
How Insurance Has
Furthered Industry
ROADS, MORE ROADS
Significance Of The Road Engineer
A development is, taking place to day that the historian of the fu- ture will hardly fail to set down
FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE
WHAT GERMAN DESIGNERS ARE DOING
Yet another new principle Which has only boon flirted with in other countries, but is now being taken most seriously in Germany, is that
of front-wheel drivo. This systca London. -Mr. W. A. Hurst, and carefully studied road etiquette
as of the most (literally) far-reach-enables the power plant, the gear general manager of the Motor and did his best to maintaining and revolutionary importance. box and the transmission in their Its ultimate political and economic ontirely to be bunched together Union Insurance Company and the high standard of driving na
into a small compact mass, so that Car and General Insurance Cour-possible. He was the type of man significance is beyond all computa- not only in weight saved, and cost of production into the bargain, pany in the course of a paper on who expected other road users to tion; it is impossible to assess its
but other benefits not lightly to be the In- carry out their obligations in the influence upon civilisation--and all Motor Insurance read to
dismissed are secured. i
surance Institute of London said same way as he himself did. Un-that that word implies. In what we are pleased to call the lesa de that whereas insurance in this fortunately matters did not always veloped countries fine new roads are country, lind been practised for over work but recording to his cherishbeing driven in all directions, and 200 years, the development of motor ed expectation and occasionally in many cases the plan af forming for trans-Continental highways, insurance had occurred during the they found the standard driver travellers and for merchandise, has last 30 years. Probably during the involved in accidents directly attri- bean seriously adopted. present century no single factor had butable to the carelessness of others. exercised as great an influence on the life of civilized people as the
The Minus Man. Thirdly, there was the minus man.
at 80; and when the car was just remarkable development which had Generally of a reckless and specula-/he can do.. Indeed, already he has )
taken place in the design, manu-
Abaft
'One of these is that a very low build is obtainable, since there is pu working component such as the propeller- abuft to interfere with the Booring of the body. et the engine, the chassis can be of very light construction, since it has no driving atresses to sustain The general distribution of weight under this method of construction has been shown, under racing con ditions both in America and in Europe, to be quite excellent from the point of view of road-holding
spectators, and you'll be terribly memory of which, whenever itincture, and use of mechanically who habitually took chances; the goes far afield who can realise what and stability in general.
disgruntled hocause we in this comes to my mind, takes n ountry haven't, as yet, a road-back to the moment I first saw course for racing, as they have on
it. ' On the Continent and in Ireland.
vory
per-
tho
right hand
of
propelled road vehicles.
MOTOR-CARS AT IS. 8D. PER POUND
DE LUXE FEATURES 14 PER LB, EXTRA.
An interesting comparison of car prices with the cost of ordinary everyday commodities is afforded by resolving the cost of popular care in terms of their weight.
The famous Austin Seven de luxe saloon on this basis costa e Id por lb., and the equivalent Ton-Four Saloon works out at 15. lid. per lb.
Only 1s. Bd. per lb. is the price of the new Austin Light Twelve- Four saloon, the de luxa model being 18. d., or 1d. per 16. dearer for the extra features.
These figures, though they may be more igenious than useful, do serve to show how the modern car, with
all its refinements and intricate mechanism, is unrivalled for value.
.It costs less than one-eighth the price of tobacco, and a little less than tea it is approximately the game price as prime English beef, and a little more than best jam and butter.
BRITISH PRODUCTION FIGURES
Eastern Europe, the Near East and the Far East will all be very different places in a few years when the road engineer has shown what I made his progressive mark upon tive nature, he was the individual them. It is only the tourist wha man who purchased a sweepstake miracles have been wrought. In the
meantime much great, and gyen The new principles exhibited at ticket in the fond belief that his monumental, work has been done Berlin show are of importance be Part Played by Insurance,
upon our highways at home, but
rause they represent the means by. which their originators are hoping Insurance had played no un-gamble would materialize. He was
to obtain a bold in foreign mar- important part in making that not an export at calculating odds, much remains to be done.
Perfection we cannot have, butkets. It is often sail that already could surely have a nearer approach in the motor car world finality developnunt possible, and the in- but was always hoping that his
to it than we can boast at present. surance companies had done much speculations would prove successful
of design is being rapidly ap more than indemnify the usera of Such an individual continued to In many instances those who con The crowd vehicles in respect of claims or losses hope for the best when at the wheel trol road construction appear to proached. This show, if it does motor vehicles. This, in compari.
falling on them as the reult of an end would dare to pass a rchic work upon very amateurish lines, nothing else, serves to remind us
They
had provided on a bend on the chance that the and merely repeat that which has that any such idea is ludicrous. accident:
on the part of others.
this respect many of our grand new organizations which relieved the road ahead would be clear of traffic. been proved to be a mistaken policy
Public attention has very proper-by-passes are far more dangerous policyholders of all the worry of If he considered the matter at all ing an oncoming vehicle was too supervising repairs after an necie believed that the danger of meet- dent, and they had, to a very la remote to deter his venturesomely been drawn to the need of scien- than the roads they replaced. In this matter it seems to us that many local authorities require a distinct extent, ncceeded in disposing of
a public both for day and night use. So far, the many claims which were made action. This was the class of road tifically making highways safer, on transport users without veruser whose outlock, was
injury to others extract amusement that the vital question of lighting not to have confusion worse con- burdening the Law Courts with menace. While he might without however, there is but little sign ly strong guiding hand, if we are
In founded.-Modera. Motoring. from
his speculations in other is being adequately answered. litigation.
walks of life, his speculative tem- perament became a very real danger when he was in charge of a motor. vehicle.
the road was a wracked Bugatti, Once I am in the car," he says, "when there is no need to talk or and stretching across the middle, concentrate on anything but the face downwards and arms stretched raze, all my awkwardness disap-gid at the side, was the driver, pears; I feel at home, I feel as hap with a pool of blood oozing from py as a king. But I must how beneath his chiu...
was silent; no one shouted to me from the outset every single joint,
to tell me what had happened. I rut, screw, and holt in it. ather wise I am ill ht ease. Many did not dare assume that he was
fine drivers rely on dend, so I went through, not da feot preparation by their mechanics, ing to look at the wheels on the the machine side of the ditch; and I swear that and only touch when they finally get into it, the other wacels missed the man's without any knowledge short of the head by less than two inches. Lssentials. Very often they win, When I stopped I found a trace of but for my part, oven it certain of blood on them. On the next lap I ineninle defeat, I could not bear an ambulance moving away from the corner, and thanked my to be on terms of such nodding ne quaintance with my car. So when stars I had not made the other de it is in its endle, months before eision (to run over the man, pre- the test comes, I wander round,suring him already dead). poking it here and prodding it there, probably a confounded nui. sance to the whole. staff. but we quiring ach a familiarity with every detail that any change in the engine's tone is like a voice: it Purne me if something is wrong, and when I demand an extraordin- sry effort, tells me whether it is equal to it or not.”
One thing seems to emerge from "Tim's "sparkling pages and that is the fact that though one gets many a haithreadth squeak. the actual fatalities, even the actm. al had crashes, in racing are not -grent
The Tronah Grand Prix.
This is the sort of thing that would be unlikely to happen to me
ERW
The
following day a lady came to my She hotel, and asked w see inc. was the wife of the injured driver, who was now in the local hospital and, after thanking me with many tears, she told me that her husband had been conscious the whole time, and saw quite clearly the wheels tushing at his head, and heard the hissing sound as they went past "
The driver recovered quite happi- ly. and added his thanks to that of his wife-I'm sure to "Tim's embarrassment! -.
A topping book. You'll devour every page of it; and though you may disagree violently with some et the genial author's forthright assertions, you'll part with him when you've finished Full Throt- te" as with an old, familin friend V.C.
THE NEW
FAIR-FLICHT
PRINCIPLE
BY
TYRES
FISK
MEANS MORE
mileage
SUPER-TYRE
NO COMPETITORS.
Sole Distributors
GILMAN & CO., LTD.
Telephone 28011. Hong Kong Bank Building.
Question of Physical Unfitness."
To these classes might be added a large number of licence holders who, by reason of their state of physical uafitness, were apt to drive in such a manner as to become a danger to the public. No one who had had personal experience of modern road conditions needed to be convinced that safe driving could not be ex- pected from those whose physical or mental sensibilities were not responsive to the emergencies in- conceivable for instance, that a volved in road traffic. It was quite
Moral and Personal Risk, Before any risk could be rated, Mr. Hurst proceeded, a conception must be formed of the susceptibility of the insurable, subject and its relation, historically assessed, to the incidence of mishap. In ordin ary classes of risks this concep- tion could usually be formed from the observation of external data. If only the insurance rating for a could be adequately motor-car assessed by a similar process, the natter would be simple. An equit able rate could be applied on the power and value of the vehicle, and, in fact, the present system Experience, would be adequate, however, had proved that such ex sernal data did not for a fair chronic dyspeptic could be a dunger- basis of sating for motor insuranceous element on the road, because of in the same way as analogous the disturbing symptoms which were features could be used in almost likely to affect his mental procenses Motor and misdirect his emergency deci. every other department. insurance was as much a moral orgious. Again, neurotics were poten- personal risk as fire insurance was tial accident-mongers, their powers a physical one. While ordinarily for calm and accurate decision the character and temperament of a being umally below average, and policyholder had little bearing on yet people suffering from auch the risk, in the case of motor diabilities were entitled to use the vehicle insurance the personal-aspect--roud was one of commanding importance.
too
Indeed, the outstanding character. A request for a reduction in rates, istic of motor-vehicle underwriting Mr. Hurst continued, involved i was the elusive nature of its funda- singularly complex problem, and us mental hazard-Damely, the human long as existing conditions come element with ali ita baffling tinued the outlook was not vagaries.
hopeful, and under prevailing con- ditions it was not practicable to introduce the wide range of rating which would be required to meet the merits of each individual risk. He was convinced that what was needed was a radical improvement in the standard of driving. If effective measures could be devised to bring about an improvement in road and result, conditions, the
Classification of Drivers. On the one hand there was the motorist who had driven for 20 or more year, under all conditions and in all kinds of cars and had never been involved in any accident, On the other hand, there was the type of driver who accounted for two or three accidents annually traffic and wha yet had the temerity to obviously, would be reflected in s uphold himself as a normal, if not general reduction in the number of exceptionally ablé, drivor. The accidents. Similarly, if there were study of the psychological aspect of an accurate system of grading the problem would, he thought, drivers a really scientific basis of indicate a three-fold claeedfication rating could be produced.
of driving types.
:
First, they had that rare product whom they might call the Plus inan. He was gifted with a sub- conscious faculty of anticipation | and when handling a motor car he prowerved a sense of alertness and responsibility pornmensurate with the dangers with which he might at any moment be confronted. He con cerned hiniself not only with the strict observance of road rules and etiquette, but, in addition, develop ly, were 343 and 173:
HUMBER CARS IN INDIA
Led
The demand for British cará abroad increases mastercouraging-
y month by mont During Now ber last, for example, Great Britain sold twice as many vehicles in India as did the United States, our clos est rival. The numbers, respective-
a skill and foresight which The Hillman Minx, a particular énabled him to, anticipate and avoid the possible results of the otherly economical car to run, has be man'e carelessness, mistakes, and come an intansa favourite bers, as have also, indeed, both the Hillinan, blunders.
Wizard and the Humber Snipe, Of Next in dassification was the the latter incidentally, largo. standard driver. Generally a man number of Tourers have been ship of normal skill and judgment, hoped for service with the Indian, was considerate for other road users: 24rmy.
During the period April 1 to September 30 last year, British manufacturers sold 71,558 private
son with the same period of 1031, shows an increase of 7,350.
Another interesting sales feature of the past year is the fact that of cars up to 10 hp.,36,239 were 1931. sold as against 24,060 in There is still a definite demand in- this country, moreover, for higher
Foreign-made car. The demand for powered vehicles, but not for the
this is almost a negligible quantity.
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