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MOTOR NOTES FROM GREAT BRITAIN
Some Important Changes
(FROM A LONDON CORRESPONDENT)
There have been several in- teresting developments in the Bri- tish private car industry during recent weeks, some of which are likely to have far-reaching effects. In the first place, the Wolseley and MG. concerns, hitherto Lord Nuffield's private property, have now been acquired by Morris Motors, but will, continue to re-
tain
their own individualities. Instead of issuing yearly pro-. grames, however: as in the past. the whole group will in future introduce series of cars, and it is ned that his arrangement will succeed in levelling out the un fortunate seasonal programmes to which the industry has pre- viously been subject.
It is understood that a com- pany is being formed to take production and uyer Lagonda that Mr. W.Q. Bentley will act as designer and technical director.
Then again, Sunbeams seem like- ly to emerge from their financial troubles, as a famous Coventry frm will in all probability pro- duce private cars of this honour- aule marque," details have not yet been made public.
THEN & NOW
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Menuwhe private car exports continue to rise and for the first
moth's of the year totalled 19.-. 857 as against 15,458 last year. This improvement is reflected in the share price of companies. which are benefiting from in-. ereased export trade, as .101 instance the Standard people.
Writing in their house organ recently, by the way, Mr. Marcus Bourdon made some interesting comparisons between car of 1910 and 1935. He pointed out that It is the character of the mate- rials used in their manufacture that the cars of then and now The materiais are so different;
a
al the disposal of the designer in 1910 were stressed to the limit of their capacity, and if a car of precisely the same design as 1935 model had been made 1910. it would have been far less dependable than the car that were actually manufactured and sold 25 years ago!
STILL GOING UP Despite are proposed increase in the oil tax the sale of Diesel- engined vehicles, both goods and passenger-carriers, continues to progress, Altogether nearly 25,- 000 new goods-carrying vehicles were put into service during the first four months of this year, while a substantial increase was also shown in buses and coaches. London Transport has just
AS- placed an order with the sociated Equipment Co. for an additional 200 Diesel-engined. "Regent" chassis. This is the Surf cider for 200 ̈ chassis, of this type that has been placed by the Board this year, while it will rememoerea that 52 six- wheeled trolley buses were order ed not long ago.
A most encouraging report comes from Leyland Motors, who state that, with 3 months of the financial year still to run, their bus orders have already exceed- ed the total of similar orders for the whole of the last financial year by 30 per cent 90 p.c. of these orders specifying the firm's compression Ignition engine.
These figures do not include
rolley buses."..
དྷྭ་
A further order for 23 "Ter riers! has Just been received from the S. African Railways, which have been experimenting. with six-wheeled "vehicles · Atted with dual-purpose bodies built in their own shops. The front por- tion of these bodies is reserved for passengers, with a separate rear compartment for the con- veyance of goods, and this type is most useful in districts where separate passenger and goods services are not justified.
"
A PROFITABLE CHANCE-OVER
London is to replace a further 49 miles of tramway route by electric trolley buses, making 138 miles in all, while numerous other towns in Britain are either adding to their existing fleets or A recent starting new services order received by Ransemes, Sims & Jefferies, for example, was for 8 complete double-deck buses for Ipswich Corporation, while this concern is busy on: Overseas contracts Town and Penang.
for Cape
Now profitable ад efficient transport service may be to municipality can be gathered from the case of Wolverhampton,
which last year earned a surplus of over £15,000. trom its 118 trolley buses and 550 motor buses. Of this sum, £5,000 was allocated to the fellef of rates » THE PUBLIC HEALTH
practice
In the public cleansing field the moving floor is being in- creasingly used and various ex- amples of the latest were to be seen at the recent conference. A good example was e 3-ton Dennis forward control chassis Atted with a 13-15 cu.. yd all-steel dustless rear-load- ing refuse collecting body, with steel moving floor,
The loading is carried out over the tall door from one tow step. and compression of the re- inse is effected by a barrier con- nected to the floor. Free and un- obstructed discharge of the re- fuse is carried out by a 'handle at the side,
A moving floor formed part of the equipment of the Scammelt Trivan which Its first public ap- pearance at the Public Cleansing Conference at Newcastle. The
the design
well is based on known, mechanical horse tractive unit, the engine being of the 10 Its n.p. 4-cylinder petrol type. ability to turn round in its ow length is a feature which com- mends it at
operators once ta whose vehicles have to work in
negotiate confined spaces and narrow streets and sharp corners. A general purpose lorry body can be employed or a refuse collector. PROGRESS
One of the
arresting most features in the progress made in" ol the design and construction goods vehicles during the last few years has been the enormous. increase in load capacity com- bined with weight saving. For Scammell the instance,
first. six-wheeler built in 1921 weigh- ed..8 tons and the load it carried was also 6 tons; to-day the weight has been reduced, yet the load has been increased to no less than 13 tons.
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1935.
MOTOR JOTTINGS
AT FIRST HAND.
Grand Prix, Racing Discussed
London, July 5 With the arrival of Hermann Prinz zu Leiningen in England came the opportunity of obtain- ing at first hand the impressions of a driver of one of the fastest of modern racing cars, the Auto- Union. Prince Leiningen is a member of the official Auto- Union team. and has competed regularly with these cars during
présent the past and
season. Last week end. for the first time in his life. he came to England, as the guest of Mr."Humphrey Cook, the owner of the ER.A. team. He drove a 1,500 cc. ERA, in at the Fample Trophy race Brooklands.
Prince I had my talk with Leiningen on the Sunday mor
It was only ning after the race.
a short talk, as the Prince was due to fly back to Germany at midday. I began by asking the Prince compare the Mercedes- and Auto-Union racing cars,
"Which is the faster?'' I 'er- quired.
"Really they are equal." he an- swered. speaking in excellent English with only a slight ac- cent. His father was born in England, and so talked English,
he and
himsel worked in America in the Chrysler factory. Incidentally, he is a cousin of the Duchess of Kent
"Perhaps there are a few kilo- metres between the two makes," he continued, "but really they are equal. The Auto-Union, with engine is, Its sixteen-cylinder however. faster on acceleration." "What does it feel like to drive at these colossal speeds on the road-nearly 200 m.ph.?".
SPEED NOT NOTICED
"I was attaining 310 kilometres (193 m.p.h.) at Avus, but one sits so low in the car that one does not realise the speed."
it
"Isn't
the unpleasant i Auto-Union to sit so far forward in front of the engine and almost
CARS OF TO-DAY between the front wheels?"
Morris Ten-four
The Morris Ten-Four saloon has low seats, ample head and elbow room, an unusually good view from all seats, smooth travel for the wheelbase, a partly streamlin- ed' body, and good speed and ac- celeration, wri.es a correspondent in a London Journal
The four doors slope much to- wards the front. and there are free entrance and exits with ge- nerous foolroom; the driver can also get in from the nearside. The adjustable front sea. give the right support, and the driver has an exceptionally safe view. There is proper room here in the beam. Of the six side windows the four glasses in the doors are niovable, and the forward ones give some ventilation without draught. The floor behind has shallow wells, and the back seat Is in front of the axle. The in- struments are neatly carried un- der one square glass face, and on either side is a good shelf. At the 30 m.p.h, rate there is a tell-tale mark. The much-sloped light there is a 'sor which can be ad- justed and moved round towards the offside. The Instruments in- clude a cluck, and there are four hydraulic jacks workable either front or rear, or all au onçe.-by-a......... handle inside the car. The car is jacked up in about a minute and the release is immediate. The roof sides, and in the top of the scuttle 1s a forward-opening vèn- tilator. The two balter es are easily reached by moving back the front seats: the door stops do not get in the way, and there are puh cords, an ashtray, and a good re- flecting mirror, A luggage 'grid can be had extra, bus behind the hinged rear squab there is fair luggage space; this cup-board might be lined. The bumper lu front acts as a stabilizer, and the spare wheel is carried in a full metal cover, partly set in the slop ing back or tall
THREE SPEEDS". The 4-cylinder engine, the cus- nioned-hub, single-plate clutch which has cork laserts and runs in qil automatically fed from the engine, and the three-speed cent rally controlled gearbox which has
"At first it takes some getting used to, but afterwards it is all right. The suspension is so good thät one сап RO over really rough surfaces without noticing it and the car is very "smooth. This year we have torsion spring- ing front and rear, though last year we had it at the front caly. 'The brakes are very good.
The Mercedes' hydraulic. hydraulic, too. The gear change is easy."
LI
are
"The saloon you drove at Avus what was that like?" "Hot and noisy."
synchromesh for second and, top and has a top filler and dipstick. are held as a unit at three points on, rubber by equipoise mounting. On the offside of the engine the large air ven:lated dynamo which shares a belt drive with the fan. the automatic make-and break radiator distributor, the and water tap, the coll, the light con- nexions above the cam steering box, the fluid tank for the Lock- heed hydraulic
"What is the advantage of five gears with such a light car and so powerful an engine?".
"Dr. Porache thought that the first gear would be useful for a good start, and that is the only time we use it."
that manufac- "One" reason turers over here cannot afford to build cars to the Grand Prix for- mula is that they receive no en- couragement or subsidy from the Government.
To what extent are the German teams subsidised?"
"I do not think I can reveal the amount. It is very consider- able. Last year the most success- ful Arm was granted a large Stam for
season. racing - this Auto-Union and Mercedes shared it. We won four races each. This year Mercedes seem to be winning, as we have been having petty troubles."
"Which is your favourite clr- cuit?"
It is a funny thing, but I prefer the Masaryk cireult in Czecho-Slovakia to any. I don't know why. It is narTOW down and rough, goes up and hill, through woods, through five Aillages, for twenty-nine killọ- metres, but I like it better than any. It was there that I won in 1930."
"TEST TRACK
What do you think of Nür- burg?"
"It is a wonderful circuit, and 1 have driven there, ever since For seven years. the beginning.
1 is of great use in Germany as a test, track to manufacturers. They drive there for hours on end in endurance tests."
"One more question about the Grand Prix-is there difficulty in passing?"
[7
"No; we all know each other very well. If an experienced driver sees a faster car coming up behind he fiaturally lets him through."
"What ERA?”
think of do you
the
"I think it is excellent, very good. Far and away the fastest car in its class, and I have Bugatti, driven most of them, Amilcar, all the small ones."
"And Brooklands?" "Very bumpy. Independent springing is the thing for that."
NEW GEAR BOXES "Do you like the self-change gear box?"
"Yes, it is excellent, too. You can do so much with it. From fourth to second, trom fourth to first, what you like.”
vibration and rattle were passed' on under sudden load at about 10 miles an hour on top. second gear should be used for suen pick- up. The back-axle ratio other- wise suits well,, and helps to keep the engine quiet and silky; at restricted speeds the car runs as sweetly as possible. The balance is good, and the engine at all normal rates feels as smooth as a six. The driving controls wheel, horn, brakes, and a spare oltin are easily reached. The starter is low down, but the forward end of the spind'e can be got at. The engine has the valves on the nearside with the plugs access ble. in the cylinder head. The carburettor, with its large cross-set air-cleaner and silencer which a'so collects fúmes from the breather, the oil filler tube over the Siming, the dip-rod, the electric petrol pump on the dash, and the oll tank for the jacks are also get-at-able. The radiator cap.'s under the bonnet. The oil pump is on the outside of the crankcase. The power is ta- ken by an open propeller-shaft. with needle-bearing joints to a three-quarter floating spiral be- vel-driven axle. The suspension is half-ellipseal with hydraulic shock absorbers, the back brakes can be worked mechanically by central pull-up hand lever with a hand adjusting · nut, "and Hody and chassis form a double box sectioned structure."
ON THE RDAÓ
Th's Ten-Four is the best Mor ris I have tried for smoothness, quietness, speed" for size: roomi- ness, comfort, safe driving view The modified streamlines are neat The engine is excellent for its capacity, and, although
some
signalling switch which has a tell-tale light, speed lever, handbrake lever, pedals, and foot dimmer switch-are all con- venient. The cluich, did its work properly. The synchromesh change requiries a slight delay for silent changes, but they can be made straight through. The hydraulic brakes were even and well graded, calling for no undue effort, and amply powerful. I liked the steering. The rubber-covered "spring wheel is well set, and the action is light throughout the lock .even at low speed, and pleasingly Arm at all times. Even on 2 roughened surface the passengers. sit comfortably, and the low cer- tre of gravity allows the saloon to bold the road and corner uncom monly well. The only real noise in travelling is the wind ruan.
For the tests the wind was Ry ourable, the roads dry, and the load was two persons. On the up- grated stretch the 15 was increas- ed to ff; and the 30 at the foot of the 1 in 221 Dashwood H-to 38 at the top. With a good stand- ing start on second at the bottom of the old hill, the crest was pass ed at 27 mph. The car wil do as a max mum 20 and 45 on frst
and second and about 86 on ton: 60 was attained against a alight. gradient and across wind
RANDON NOTES
Busiest Crossroad
The honour of being the busiest. provincial cross-roads in England used to be credited by some to a ma'n crossing in Gloucester, but for most of the years, during which the A.A. has taken a traine census of those crossings which it controls permanently, the cross- ing at Mere Corner. Cheshire, where and Knutsford-Warrington roads Intersect, has proved the busiest. Automatic traffic signals are now to be installed.
the Manchester-Chester
זי
(Continued on Page 3)
"Are the Auto-Unions likely to come to England?"
"No, I am afraid not." "Why?"
- "Well, there is so much racing abroad-every weekend. I ob- tained" permission to come over for the British Empire Trophy only because there was no race for 113
Then this week-end. there is your handicap system."
"But what about the big Don- ington meeting?"
"Quite, but events clash. There is the Masaryk race on Septem- ber 30th and Donington is on October 5th It does not give one much time to get the cars over."
"How many" Auto-Unions have you altogether?”
"Seven."
"And Mercedes?";
"They have twelve, I believe.". It was time to cease my flow of eager questions. Prince Lein- ingen had to leave for his aero- plane.
"One last thing," he added, "please say through your jour- nal that I am very grateful to everyone here. Mr. Cook for the drive. Mr. Mays-and also to all those at Brooklands, Mr. Bradley at feel quiet -they made me home. It was a very kind recep- tion-John
in. The Dugdale Autocar.
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