THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,
STIFF TRIAL FOR MORRIS MINORS.
Hill Climbing in Yorkshire. [By J. E.. Appleyard," B.S.C.)
After a considerable period of waiting, the first two Morris Minors arrived in our showrooma in Leeds in carly October. We knew nothing about them except their excellent qualification of having come from a good stable, and determined to find out whether they really were worthy members of the redoubtable Morris family, we subjected them to trial on the worst hills in Yorkekiro and the Lakeland..
leads straight up from Ambleside
2.
MOTORING SUPPLEMENT.
drove backwarda way up the lacets delighted audiences who have since ain a spectacular fashion, which has
seen the film depleting the climbs. Looking For More. With Howtown Hause achieved,
cars to the botom and in enso of failure bo climb the bill, to run home by Buttermere. Quarrymen from the slate works gathered round in. interest to see. whether the Uttle cars would succeed where so many others had fallbd...
500 Feet Up
On this hill we gained our real Impression of the extraordinary "nippiness" of the Minors, their do- lightful easy accurate steering, freedom from bounce and perfect springing over the roughest of surfaces. As a demonstration of the stability of the car and its low. centre of gravity, Mr. Limb, our General Manager, drove one of the
Our little crowd, with camera pin bond with a gradient of 1 in gathered at the "Hill Step and cars from the top down to a hair- and into operator complete to the hotel at the top of the Pass.4, and, at a narrow portion of the watched the first of the Morris
Again the Hitle cars dicked road round the "S" bends, despite the as
which WAN only half Minors, driven by Mr. Whatley, rengh surfaces, and straight up tho turned
wide as the ear is long, Leeds Ltd., como into sight three- sales manager of Appleyard of final reach without a falter. This the 1 in 4 gradient in one ro Pass, 500 feet below, round the
the car. round on hill rises 1,300 feet in 2 miles, verse and came back up the hill.
quartors of a mile away down the and incidentally, has nearly half a Following this, he drove the car bridge over the mountain torrent, mile of travelling where no height again down the hill and in reverse in and out of the "S" bond with is gained.
Having thus successfully
its gradient of 1 in 43% culminat- complished one of the best-known
yards straight of 1 in 8, swerving ing in 1 in 4, then up the 100 The Yorkshire Evening Post test hills of the English Lakes,
to the right on 1 in 5 and up to and Yorkshire Weekly Post we turned to the consideration of s
the second bridge on the esaler representatives very kindly consent still stiffer proposition and decided ed to observe the climbs up the on Howtown Hause, if not ne
gradient. The roar of the little famous Sutton Bank and ite nelgh-woll known to motorists as its scen-
gathered way for the real crux of engine came up the "Pass" as it bour, White Horse Hill, and theso ery and character mcrit. This lies like Alexander we looked for fresh the climb with the we sampled first.
gradient along the file-known eastern worlds to conquer, and were per- gradually stiffening to 1 in 5 up shore of Ullswater and ends played where to find a hill which to the foot of the "Hill, Stop" Forty in Second.
in a cul de sac high above offered greater difliculties than itself where the slope abruptly The 3.9 gradient of Sutton Bank the lake. The Toad ascends Howtown Hause.
Someone sug changes to the gradient of 1 in troubled the cars not at all, In in seven hairpla Incets up gested "Why not try the little 3 stiffening to 1 in 3. The road fact, the speed never fell below the mountain side, so strongly rebus on Honister Pass" We knew climbs along an unfenced precl- 20 miles an
hour, and the little smbling Alpine climbs that it has is had but rarely been attempt pice which drops into the torrent engine was successfully run at 20 earned for self the name of the ed and still more rarely climbed back far below. mifles an hour in second gear with-English Stelvio."
without special' gear ratios being out distress.
For several days it had been rain. made from standard. This experience forlifed us for ing hard and the road along the
The Httle Morris Minors had the much mure formidable White the lake was flooded 9 in. to been taken straight from the show Horse Hill, which climbs the Ham. ft. No other method, however, of rooms without any preparation of bletons three or four miles to the gaining Howtown Hause was pos- any kind, but fortified by the fact east, up a precipitous cliff out ofsible, so the little ears ran through that we had with us nonskid chains, which is cut in limestone the famous the flood, throwing the water high we decided to run over the other White Horse. The surface of over their bonnets and emerging aide of Derwentwater and have a this hill, unlike Sutton, is much after 200 yards of water none the look at the notorious "worst hill In broken up by water-courses and worse for their bath. Soon the England." rough stones, but again
We arrived there at 5 pm, had a the top. this zig-zag rund confronted un lending gradient had no Lerrors, and up to the gap in the hill above good look at the gradient and parti the bill with the exception of 20 | Howtown.
Quickly afterwards came Mr. cularly the famous "Step" and Limb with the other Morris Minor yards on the "S" bend, was nc-
found the lack of light for cinema and again both climbs were re complished in second gear.
photographs an excuse for leaving peated, making four clean, com- turned to the Scafell Hotel in Bor- the hill alone, that night. We re-pletely unassisted nacenta.
Certificates of the performance
The Conquest of Hönister. The car came gamely at its task. slackening speed with the slip of the wheels on the lare exposed rock and in the ruts cut out by the skids. "Will It do it ?" "It cant." "It can." "It will." And then a great shout of delight na the little bus came out upon the top of the "Step," romped home up the upper portion of the Pase to the sign boards at
as we
ard
Short Wheelbase Advantages. Having tested out the cars hilarating a climb. First we rose Never have we known so ex- locally and so successfully, we at one hair-raising hairpin to the rowdale, and deelded on another were obtained from the indepen decided to climb the worst hills in right. In a few short yards, an- look in the morning. The day open-dent quarrymen witnesses. It was the English Lakes and try a series other to the left, again another ed in the late autumnal glory which a happy homoward journey, often in transcending order of difficulty to the right, another to the left, revenis Lakeland at its best. until we really found one which all of gradients of the order of 1 should be insurmountable. in 4. A large car could not have got morning, we again drove up the cars had emerged from their Fortified with the courage of the at the rate of 55 miles an hour, returned to Leeds. The On Kirkstone Pass.
round the hairpina of the narrow ensy side of Honister and walked bantlam of floods, vile roads and rond without the necessity of reover the summit down to Butter- First we made for Kirkstone versing, but each of the little mere. Pass, on the easy recent from Minors came round the bends at ring "Step" with fta gradient of !
Again we stopped at the ter precipitious hills. Windermere, and romped to the Apeed without a single reverse, and in 3, its surface chewed up by the top with never a gear change finally emerged at the top of the conches which descend the hill on below second. Then, at the sum-Pass with never a sign of exhaus-kids but never come, up, and Its mit a turn was made down the real tien or beat. In fact, the radiators, unfenced precipice on the right- Kirkstone Pass, usually named "The were never more than comfortably hand side Struggle" this being the hill which warm to the hands.
of the nscent. With trepidation we decided to take the
MAGISTRATES TO BE TAUGHT.
Special courts are to deal with motoring
€2000 in Berlin (Germany). All magistrates who bear the cases will receive training in automobile matters.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1929.
THE WORLD HAS A NEW
The Nash "400)· Advanced Six Phacton
AND FINER MOTOR CAR
EVERY WORD you hear about the
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M
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Easy steering, tob, features the Nash "400". People everywhere are saying It's the easiest steering car they have ever driven.
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NASH 400".
Écasts the Worlà in Motor Cár Valite
IMPORTANT FEATURES-NO OTHER CAN HAS THEM ALL
Twin-Ignition engine
Salon Bodles Aluminium alloy
pintons
il
12 Aircraft-type spark
plugs
High compression Houdaille and Lovejoy
thock absorbers
(inclusive Nash klas)
Telegraph G.1474.
(laver Struts) New double drop frame Torlonal vibration
damper World'insincering
7-bearing crankshaft. Short turning radius
·
(bellow crank pins)
Elfur centralized
chassis lubrication icicle clock. Exterior metalware
chrome plated over" alckel
WONG SIU WOON,
Sole Agents for Hongkong and South China.
Longer wheelbases One-piece Siton ..fenders...
Nash Special Design-
froat sad ret bumpers
21, Pollinger Straat.
VICESER STATION:-76, Das Vaux Road Centrál.-Telephone 0.064.
AUTO
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The Republic Motor Co. of China
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EXCELSIOR MOTOR
FAMOUS SINCE 1874
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