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American Manufacturers
ADOPT BRITISH EXAMPLE
Some little while back I stated. that motor car manufacturers in America were considering whe- ther they should alter the date. at which the annual New York Show had been held for a great many years past-viz, during the arst week of January, writes correspondent: I said that October November was the
or month they had in mird trough- ly at about the same time as the Olympia Show) and pointed out that this proposal in U.S.A. was rather remarkable in view of the fact that the January date had frequently been held up to Bri- tish manufacturers as the ideal or Olympia
Well, despite the American ar........ rangement having been urged upon British manufaturers," the American industry has decided to adopt the British date, or there- abouts, for their Show time. The New York Show will be held from November 2 to 9 (Saturday t. Saturday, both days included), which means that it will open a week after Olympia closes and will close rather less than a week before the Scottish Show opens.
A point that naturally arises ls, wheher the 1936 American models will be shown at Olympla before they are shown in USA. If not the probability is that wil make their ars: appearance at Kelvin Hall, thereby adding to the importance and interest of the Scottish Show.
British
But if they are not shown at Olympla, what "will the distributors of American cars have on view there? Surely they will not show 1935-mdels or have empty stands 'or no stands at all. If they failed to take space and use it they would lose their priority rights in future ballots for
rule: As space which hitherto have given them pro- minent positions.
a
ft
It is of interest to note that the New York Show next Novem- ber will be run, as until January, 1934, by the manufactuders' or- ganisation; in January last was run by a group of distribu- tors, and included display by the Ford Motor Company. By reverting to manufacturer con-
the next trol
show will again lack a Ford exhibit! 節
BEWARE OF ORPHAN CARS In consequence of information that has reached me of late from several quarters widely apart, I "feel the need for referring to the subject of "orphan" cars again, a subject upon which I issued a warning here some while ago.
But there are some used car des- lers who lack business morality to the extent thus implied; un- less the point is raised they care- ' fully refain from referring to it.
True, it must be admitted, that, in a few cases, spares are obtain- able from firms who, when the manufacturers closed down, bought up all the spare parts in stock and who are still able. maybe, to supply certain kinds, But even in these cases there is no telling how long the stock will last, or whether it will include the item that cannot be done without when the need for it arises.
TOP GEAR IN LONDON TRAFFIC
Although an R.A.C... tal re- cently conducted in London may be described
as "freakish" by scme people, in that what was not a plan to be recommended to owners of the type of car that was used, the trial may com- mended as completely", dispelling an opinion sometimes expressed in regard to the fuld' flywheel-
viz.. that the latter will not operate as intended if subjected to treatment causing the ollto overheat.
the RA.Ç. trial in ques-
One cannot imagine any better demonstration of the falsity of such an opinion or statement than tion. För 12 hours a 15 h.p. Daimler with, the standard fly- wheel transmission ran in Lon- don traffic, through some of the most congested areas, on top gear alone! Even restarting, after the 258 occasions on which the car had to be brought to a standstill. was done on top gear.
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1935.
MOTOR
MOTOR NOTES
From Here And There
JUSTICE DEALT WITHI
JOTTINGS
MODERN CAR COMFORT
Progress In Body Work
In spite of certain heavy handi- caps, imposed chiefly by the prin- cipal sufferers, there is no doubt that cars are getting more com- fortable. For two or three years' past they have been far better sprungthan they were, up- holstery is planned on a more
EITHER HAND! Although the Bench felt that something should be done about the marked lack of de-restric- alon signs at Southport, it did not omit to impose fines upon drivers who had as a result, ex-generous scale, and, in several ceeded the limit before they were clear of the built-up areB.
ONE IN TEN Registrations of motor vehicles in Canada last year reached, a total of 1,129,532, as compared 'with 1,082,957 In 1933. The num-- ber of motor vehicles per hun- dred of the population also ad- vanced from an average of 10.1 in 1933 to 10.4 last year.
"
NOT THE FIRST
That motorists should abstain voluntarily from the use of alco- holic liquor before driving was the resolution adopted by the National Commercial Temperance League at Bradford. This would be the motorists' contribution to the effort to decrease the toll of the road, it was added.
w:
ROAD SERVICE Italy is at it again, encourag- ing motorists. An intelligence in connection with road condi- tions has
been instituted, and
the latest information about the state of roads in all parts of the country can be gained on By- plication to the Royal Automo- bile Club of Italy. This time we are not so far behind. “Our own organisations have supplied such service for years. 11.9
Driven by Miss Marjorie Cattle, the international trials driver, the car covered 142, mlies in ali at an average speed of m.p.h., which Indicates to some extent the heavy traffic that had ty be negotiated. The slowest run over the 15-mile route of the West End, City, and East End that was used gave an average speed of: 8,8 mph!
This was a run that started about 9 2.m. The fastest was one with an average of about 18 m.p.h., which was done evening. a time when the City and East End traffic is reducing In intensity. while that in the West End has slackened slightly for a while, "
CYCLE TRACKS
W
-
FAIR GAME
It seems that road funds con- tributed by motorists the world over are fair game for legisistors.. As a direct result of diverting
£500,000 each year for the past three years from New Zealand petrol tax moneys the highway system has deteriorated. Petrol
tax in the
off
Where cycle tracks were re- cently provided alongside one of the main London exits with an umfcrtunate record of accidents it The term orphan car. I would
has been found a car "whien tae;
that they are recall; implies
made use of by 84 per cent. of manufacturers have gone out of
cyclists, This business for some reason or other,
rather suggesta that the childish campaign of the usually through financial failure; in
cycling organisations against cycle tracks is not supported by the general body of cyclists.
the case of cars of foreign manufacture it may well be ap- plied to those not now represent- ed in this country by distributors -- and agents, and of which the manufacturers may or may not have gone out of business.
In any event, British or for- eign, the car is one for which nobody is even morally respons-. ible for maintaining supplies of spare parts as and when these are required by owners.
At one time in the history of motoring since the war, in fact
and the number
variety of such cars offered" for sale in the used car "market"
was very large. It is smaller nowadays," but, nevertheless, is by no means negligible. As a rule-well-nigh invariably these orphan cars are offered for sale at very low
prices, considering their ¡condi-
on and practical utility.
They appear to be very tempt- ing bargains to the would-be purchaser who has no knowledge of the potential trouble and ex- pense in store for the owners. A ten-pound note will buy a 20 hp. saloon in quite good order, and, even though it may have an out- of-date appearance, its mechani- cal condition as judged by a trial run-may suggest that its chassis would form an excellent basis for a more up-to-date body.. a trades mun's van or a light lorry for, say, agricultural And so it may so long as apare are required by: owners
* Orphần cars, then, area risky purchase, With rare exceptions, they are not offered for sale by motor agents and used car dea lers of repute without the FITO""
pective buyers being informed of the situation in regard to spares
It is probable that the cycling organisations have done much harm to their cause by their at- titude on this question, as it pro- ves an unreasonableness long suggested by their attitude on other questions.
It is feared that they might be compelled to use these tracks where they are provided, and many of us do not see any good reason why they should not-for and convenience" of the safety everybody, including themselves. The same compulsion may one day be applied to pedestrians, even if the time is not yet; and It is difficult to reconcile the de- mand of pedestrians for foot-
paths and the refusal of cyclists to accept cycle paths: They are not even asked to pay for them. That falls to the motorist.
"LONDON TO EDINBURGH The annual run of the Motor Cycling Club from London to Edinburgh became this year the Edinburgh trial. When fret in stituted 28 years ago the run be- tween the capitals represented a real adventure.in which the pub- Uc at both ends of the journey betrayed considerable interest..
Then it was a mactor cycle event. O Saturday last, however, there were very few spectators to watch the arrival of the travel stained competitors at the Waver floy Market, while the few, mot
cycles at one end of t building looked quite pathetic. To-day this is primarily a car, event, but although the entry was large it was less than for some
sind it is doubtful if
change in title has been a succ
in N.Z. is rod per gallon. Sixpence was originally" levied for road purposes and fourpence was added for general taxation pur- poses,
THE SAME BOAT
In New York State they calcu- late that diversions from high- way funds have taken. away more than 100,000,000' dollars in wages from" the unemployed who might have worked on the roads.. "The practice will continue until the public is sufficiently aroused to take direct action," said the general manager of the "Motor. Equipment Manufacturers As- scciation. Local committees of highway users have been formed.
→ SCAPEGOAT
One way or another motorists get the blame for everything. At the opening of the Liverpool Academy of Arts Exhibition Pro- fessor L B. Budden criticised the effect of motering on pubile ap preciation of art. In order to own a car, he alleged, people are prepared to sacrifice home com- forts, such as good pictures.
ressom
•
ANDES TRAFFIC
car
A motor race is said to be the
for the increase in traffe over the Andes, in South America. The race was held last March from Buenos Aires, vis Mendoza, to Santiago, Chile, and back to the Argentine over the southern route,
CHIRK CASTLE Chirk Castle, near Wrexham will be thrown open to the pub-. lic, on Whit-Monday and also ou Thursday, July 25th; in Rid of the local schools,
14
AN
ways, coach-builders have shown that they are now allowed to think about the passenger well as the driver. The great majority of cars are still far too small-as they are far too heavy -but what space is devoted to accommodation is no longer wast
ed
The handicaps are, of course. those of the "sporting" design, to my mind a singularly stupid conception. Except a very large example, whose bulk, alr-resis- tance, weight, what you will, could have been very little less than that of the orthodox type, I can-. not remember more than about two of these bodies that were not cramped The public. Insist upon having them, and the public are the sufferers. I can- no: belleve that any sensible coachbuilder with experience car really want to design a closed body whose profile is a segment of a circle
nowever.
These apart, the latest bodies show a great improvement over neir predecessors of a year.hr two ago. One of the best I have yet cume across is the new Wolse- Jey 18-h.p. saloon. This has an even more comfortable body than the 14-h.p Wolseley, which was described in this column on Jan- uary 20.
THE SEATS
with enough
are
pick-up and acceleration swift and unhesitating. By spee- dometer. I made the comfortable maximum about sixty-eight miles an hour on top, about forty-eight on third, and about thirty-five on second. The gear ratios are: top, 5.1: third: 6.72 (pleasantly high; second, 9.89, and first, 17.49 to 1. It showed a very good performance on the long pull-up Burgh Heath from Ewell, though we were badly baulked by a singularly boggish piece of driving on the part of one who combined the instincts or the su cide and the murderer,
The road-holding is good, cor- ners being easily taken at high speed without
rolling. sway or This, combined with good springing and steering, makes the car very pleasant to handle. I was not much impressed with the gear- change, which was not particular- ly, easy at high speeds, judging it. by the latest standards. It needs practice. Second speed was a lit- tle noisy, I thought, owing, pos- sibly, to wear. Demonstration cars have a lot to endure. The brakes were adequate.
ܪܙ
UP THE HILLS Considering its weight of a ton and a half, I consider the 18-h.p.: "Wolseley a plucky hill-climber. It climbed Pebblecombe Hill, gradi- ent one in 5 at the top, on sec- ond, fa thirty-eight seconds. which is exactly the same time as that of the 14-h.p. Wolapley- though there was a difference in the two speedometer readings.
'The car rides very steadily, and the engine makes very little noise. Its pull is smooth up to high r volution rates, The finish throughout is excellent, parti cularly in the dash-equipmen which carries a large single dla on. which all necessary informa- tion is announced speed, oll- pressure, water-temperature, bat- tery-charging, and the time of day. The usual fittings are pre- ·
The back-seat is practically what every back-seat should be, at all events for two people. You can lean back in a really com- fortable attitude leg-and elbow-room, and you are firmly held in that position what- ever the back axle is doing at any speed. The upholstery is pneu-sent, Including traffic-indicators matic, and there is a good-sized armrest in the middle, which falds back when required. There are also folding foot-rests. There is enough head-room, plenty of light is admitted, and the ventilation is on modern lines-there is al- ways fresh a'r to breathe, and there are no draughts.
The front seats are also excel- lent, roomy, and comfortable, givë ing the driver a position in which he does not. Adget or t're. There is a sliding roof, an insulated bulkhead to deal with undue noise, engine-heat and rumel, and a quick-opening windscreen. This body is a careful plece of work showing real thought and com- monsense. I have very seldom sat in a better, at any price.
The
two
six-cylinder engine. has capacity of just under and one-third Iltres, the bore and "stroke being. 69.5 by 301 millimetres and the tax-rating 813 108. The cylin- ders are cast in one with the top half of the crank-case, the valves rocker-operated, and the camshaft chain-driven ́ in two stages, a counter-shaft chain wheel being used in the drive from crankshaft to camshaft. This chainwheel is pivotable, for ad- justment. The crankshaft runs in seven bearings, and carries a vibrafon-damper, at the forward end. A good point is the pro- vision of an external oil. Alter, which can be detached without
afted with an air-cleaner, which difficulty. The carburettor is
also acts as a fume-extractor from the cylinder-head: Ignition is by coll-and-distributor, with auto mat'e as well as hand adjustment, fuel is fed by electric pump, and cuuling is by pump and fan with automatic thermostatic control. The whole unit is a very work-- manlike job
A LIVERY CARM
A s'ngle-plate dry clutch Tear- ries the drive to the four-speed TATTOO BOUND? .
year box, in which the constant Reservations for car park mesh and third gears are of the berths at this year's Aldershot double-helical type, giving a Tattoo from June 13th to 15th, and "silent" third, and top and third 18th to 22nd, are double those at are synchromeshed. There is a the corresponding date last year, free-wheel, automatically put out state the RC, Spectators are of action in reverse. The profel- being urged by the Tatteo antholer-shaft la an open one. with rities to arrive early as conges- needle-bearing uni tion is inevitable if everyone de- both ends. lays arrival until the last poss ceptiona thle minute Mape showing the This routes to and from the Tattoo
car part may be obtained free from the thirty-five RAC Pall Mall London;
hour Between
lofuta az
and a concealed luggage-grid.. It should prove a remarkably cheap car at £340.-J. B.
—-'
MONOPLANES FOR COAST DEFENCE
Fast Machines With. Long Range
A start has been made on the construction of a fairly large num- ber of fast. twin-engined aero- planes for coast defence.
B
The type chosen s an adapta- tion of the Aro air liner produced. recently for Imperial Airways. It is a low-wing monoplane with a retractable. undercarr.age, In its civil form 1 has a top speed of 190. miles an hour and cruising speed of: 160 miles an hour. No important structural change has been made in the adaption, but a machine-gun cockpit has been cut in the roof of the fuselage just aft of the cabin, and this is covered with a transparent cupola to pro- tecz the gunner from the pressure of the air stream at high speed..
Two two Siddeley Cheetah (290) h.p.) engines are set in the leading edge of the wing, and their nacelles provide housings for the under- carriage wheels when retracted. The pilot's cockpit is enclosed, and there is plenty of room in the cabin for the apparatus of navigation and wireless communication which will form a valuable part of the equipment of a machine intended to undertake reconnaisance duties similar to those of the flying-boats over the seas. At need a fairly big load of bombs or a heavy torpedo could be carried. The disposable load in the civil type is 2,2401b,
This order is an important part of the RAF expansion scheme, and indicates the decision of the Air Ministry to strengthen the coast defence force with a new type of aeroplane fit, by reason of ts two engines, to make long journeys over the water. In one sense the choice is a departure from the modern tendency of the RAF to use, only metal aircraft for although the fuselage is of welded steel tube, the ng isa wooden, structure with plywood covering. But the primary fune-
type!!
issance, other
combat
be less
AFTER A ROAD
ACCIDENT
What Not To Do
I happened the other day to be the first arrival after a road collision of which I was apparent- ly the sole witness, apart from the participants, writes a correspond- ent. The only injuries consisted of a few cuts inficted ́on an' elderly passenger by dying glass; and my purpose is merely to sug- gest a few maxims for myself and» all other motorists who may at some future date be involved in similar collisions. A chauffeur was driving his master and mis- ¡ress. Entering a town for the first time in his life, he failed to realise the perilousness of a point at which four roads meet. Con- sequently he took the crossing much too fast. On Its centre he met a grivate owner crossing tem-ment, and that the car was tra- perately at right angles. The pri- vate owner accomplished a very fine stop, for his speed was low, but the chauffeur was so frighten- ed that although he was allowed lots of room to swerve round the bonnet of the other car he hit
the kard. The steering of owner-driven car was wrecked. and the chaumeur's car swung round through 180 degrees, jerk- ed two of its tyres off the wheels, and sustained other damage.
speed was probably nearer thirty- five than Afteen. The other driver calmly organised the collec- tion or irrefragable evidence about his speed. In actual fact i he could have left the matter to the
effcient constable. This young officer satisfied himself at what point the chauffeur-driven car first became visible to the ather. He noted that the owner- driven car immediately began a brakeskid, marking the road: in two clear straight lines. He mea- sured those lines; their straight- ness, definition, brevity, and start- ing-point proved beyond all argu- ment that the car had brakes in perfect order, which were crashed on at the earliest possible mo-
velling very slowly indeed to have stopped aš šoon as it did.
MUCH TOO FAST
The position of the owner- driven car, which, thanks to me and its owner, still lay where it stopped. showed that the chauffeur could have avoided the crash by swerving outwards or by g turning right; whilst his fallure to stop and the distance which he travelled after impact proved that not only had he lost his head. completely but that", he Was travelling much too fast. Had this young chauffeut come into court he would probably have sworn that, he was driving at Afteen miles an hour. This evl- dence would have been as foolish as untrue, Foolish, because he could not have stated the point at which he achieved this speed; and untrue, because he W25 travelling much faster, even when he hit the other car. The owner- driver, on the other hand, could have given credible and precise evidence as to his speed. · He could have stated that he pulled up dead within so many feet of the point at which the other car
The usual crowd collected in the usual magical way, and as an old gentleman in the damaged, saloon. was obviously bleeding freely and was semi-conscious from injury or shock there was an immediate call for brandy. Needless to say, spirits should not be given`at · random to road casualties, and various foolish but kind-hearted people were with difficulty res- trained until the arrival of a doc- tor, who lived close at hand, and who promptly reassured the in- jured man's wife and everybody else, Meanwhile stupid but well-meaning people began to lay hold of the two help-. less cars with the laudable triten- tion of clearing the road for other cars which were already begin-fira: became visible to him; and ning to queue up on all four roads
owner The private these efforts, knowing that the relative position of the two cars and their skidmarks were essen- tial to proving his innocence (he was not aware that any outsider had seen the accident).
other equally
restrained
A COMPETENT CONSTABLE
The next arrivals of interest were a constable and a scout. These two first assured thainsel- ves that a doctor was attending to any injured persons present.. Then the scout "shooed" the crowd out of the gap between the two cars, and converted himself
into
3 stop-and-go machine in order to clear the traffic jam Meanwhile the policeman produc ed. a beautiful folding steel rule and a notebook. He made a plan of the scene, depicting all relevant objects, measured all the distan- ces to get the positions correct and precise."measured the skid- marks, and so forth. Earlier in the proceedings he had sent a small boy to the nearest garage to bring up their crane orry. The young policeman-he hardly looked out of his teens-was the very incarnation of skill, coolness, tact, and common sense, Within a few minutes he had secured all the necessary statistics, and he; then took down a statement from one of the drivers, who had kept entirely cool throughout the pro- ceedings.
I had conceived a great regard and admiration for this young constable, which was considerably intensified when the other driver approached him and began to of- fer a statement. The young police- man looked him up and down Sympathetically, told him politely that he was far too shaken to make a coherent statement, and that he had better wait and call at the station later in the day to say his piece. In a quarter of dragged one car to a safe place an hour the breakdown lorry had
that, according to reliable techn!- cal tables published by scientists the space required by this stop implies a speed of so many miles an hour, assuming 100 per cent braking efficiency. He could per haps have supplemented this evi- dence by getting the repairer to test the efficiency of his brakes, as soon as the steering was put right and the car could once more- be taken on the road.
The main moral of this little tale is that an accident can be reconstructed in every detall, by a competent man; that the mo dern constable is extremely com- petent and
that bystanders should refrain from moving “any thing after an accident until a competent man arrives and makes notes of the essential facts.-G.B.
RUNNING THE CAR
ON ALCOHOL
There is little point now in the story of the motor car run in emergency on a bottle of whisky, for alcohol made by The Distil lers Company in Scotland, and ccsting 15 6d a gafon, is shortly to be sold from the pumps as a motor spirit
The new alcohol blend spirit, known as "Cleveland Discol" is the joint product of The Distil- lers Company and Petroleum Storage and Finance Corpora tion, Lad. The alcohol will be manufactured at the Greenock plant of The Distillers Company." Within 10 weeks the first main depot, of the "Cleveland Discol" will be established at Granton. Probably similar plant will be laid down on Clydeside
ANTI-KNOCK VALUE
It is claimed for the new spirit
grade petrol together that it has the qualities of
makes it extremely, suitable cars with very high. ratios, thus
enabling ma
at the side of the road and plac-_high_anti-knock value
a sentry mechanic to see that venir hunting or lost, whist the 1he crowd d'd not indulge in sou
to the repair shop...-- other car was already on its way
RECONSTRUCTING THE ACCIDENT
Perhaps the most important ás- pect of this small encounter apart! from any medical implicationa is the futility of wild atements about speed, he chauder rept Ondiyato all sandry that he was only doing fteen "miles an hour n acqua)
to produce cars higher compression rati of to-day Even cars compression will the use of the eliminationsof ormous" reductio and, In's
Cle
sing,