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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, MOTORING SUPPLEMENT. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1930...
RAPID GROWTH OF US. BUS INDUSTRY.
The latest in buses, commerenrats with the Industry's size, is this cross-country sleeping coach used by a western bus line, The map, inset, shúws the maze of interstate and trans-
continental but 11ses now operatin 2.
Washington, DC. Nov. 14.- Fifty years ago a small network of stage coaches served is the "rural railway" of the United States. Today the motor bua which has developed from a one-line system 20 years ago to nearly billion-dollar industry now, in the transportation agency which penetrates into every isolat- ed rural humlet.
Twenty years ago a nation-wide
HOW THE BUS INDUSTRY HAS GROWN.
Growth of the bus industry in the last four years Is shown by this table:
Total 4M
Total operators.
Total routes
Common carrier mileage
1926
1930
69.400
02.500
21,200
23,900
782,600
1.760,000.000
1,855,000,000
$195,000,000
-178,000 1,378,000,000
Comnes carrier passengers. 1,125,000,000 Common currier gross revenue $230,000,000 Common carrier investment... $176,000,000
50 passengers and to have all the bus lines. comforts of home.
$245,000,000
Small Lines Merge.
MOTOR-CARS FOR 1931.
Tendency for More Cylinders.
NEW "EIGHTS" COMPARED.
[By H. Thornton Rutter.
With the advent of the new automobile senson manufacturers of private cars have turned to the multi-cylinder engine to tempt the public.
Never before in the history of motoring have so many six, eight, and twelve cylinder engined cars seen offered to the public.
Every
without exception is now producing these models.
this
Last week I Inspected the latest products of
kind from America, the 19 Buick mostela. They are styled the 8-50 Buick 26.8 h.p., the 8-60 Buick 10.5 h.p., and the 8-90 Buick 36 h.p. No longer are six-cylinder Duick cars being made for the new season. Yet these multi-cylinder cars cost £40 less in the U.S.A. then the former six-cylinder models.
Protection.
The five-passenger closed cars of these models are sold there at £207, £271, and £363 respectively. But for the import duty of 32 1,3 per cent. ad valorem, I am sure nur British manufacturers could not compete with the remarkably low prices of these night-cylinder
cara.
Our British-built "eight" moderate price is the new Hillman "Vortic." 11 is liated at £425, while,
the original Hillman "straight, eight" in its improved
network of buses was unthoughts-tance, to accommodate nearly vania Railroad and the Greyhound form now costs $355, the lowest of. Even if It was, it was laugh. ed at, for no ne believed that a bus could compete with railroads But today the bus is not peting with railroads. Rather, it is co-operating with them, and many railroads are now running their own hus lines as an adjanell,
to their ruil service.
com
priced English eight-cylinder car. The higher priced "Vortic" naturally has the better perform It was not until two years ago
aner of these two models, I had ant bus transportation really i
Small individual lines have been a run in it last week and found showed such marked progress. In
the first sleeper bats came herged and now large transcon- its engine had high accelerating Its four-speed gear-box tinental routes are taking their powers. and with its introduction places. This is illustrated in the is easy to change gear on, the mastorentet travel was immugu-
merging of the Pacife Transpor-silent-third" or "traffic-top" rated,
the silent in its running, and it is raulesation Securities, Inc., on Transcontentmi bus
Paeffie const; Pickwick Grey-
possible to get away in traffic at arcessitated the use of big bound Lines, covering the west spegels up to 30 m.p.h. in a few
entral portion of the country, and | scennds. Motor Transit Management Com its maximum speed is slightly any controlling the Greyhound over 70 m.p.b., with more than lines, cunning eastward from no m.p.h. on the "traffic-top" if
along the wanted. On top gear, one Chicago to points
orthern half of the Atlantic sea accelerate from 10 to 40 m.p.h. in oard. This merger formed
just over 20 seconds.
No hill, however steep, quema many $20,000,000 organisation, fidaces where Fallways don't, Transcontinental service is run require a lower gear than the
Yet the fuci of
third railway speed, tim interior where reads are the jalong
All buses depart on sumption is economical, as this only way in and out of a com- schedules.
Fourteen depar-"Vortie" Hillman averages about The growth of Intes is remark- munify the bus is the only method scheduled time.
Railroads.tures able.
fannspuriat (on, Just a few youre age they of
and a similar number h.p. eight-cylinder engine. were mard-over truck
bodies, realizin this, have imurit into wres daily are made from the 18 miles per gallon with its 19.7
Afrom the east, Relief drivers are To-day they are the latest word he larger bs companies.
instance of this is the picked up along the route and in craftsmanship. Sperin) bodiesofable are designed to eliminate wind arrangement between the Pennsyl-these drivers are changed at from
More than 75 bus lines affiliated with the National Association of Motor Bus Operators are running
w methods to the bus game hetween cities, state, and arriss Firket stations were erected in all country In the United States.itles the buses passert through. These lines operate 36.0 common fleet of buses was necessary to varrier buses which travelled more keep up schedules. When these than 1,685,900,000 miles last year roues were firmly established the in transporting 1,855,000,000 parbus, business really commenced to sengers. The gross revenge and climb, investment of these buses totalled more than $740,000,000.
What a Difference.
PROVEN
QUALITY
THE
Whe htt
T
reaches
In
the
lines
and extremely low cost-quality considered.
The Nash Six 4-door Sedan, pic- tured above, and four other smart Six models are built on 1141⁄4 inch chassis. They are powered by high compression, 7-bearing Nash en- gines which develop in excess of 60 horsepower.
“HE' new. Nash Six was devel- oped in response to a world de mand for quality in the low priced field! It is a thoroughly proven unit, the natural outgrowth of a long record of successful building of quality six cylinder motor cars It brings to its field, for the first time, Nash quality engineering. It brings a new series of 6 cylinder Why not try this car before you cars that are destined to quickly buy? Also, see the three new Nash acquire leadership because of their Straight Eights which are thrilling beauty, size, powerful performance the world!
Oriental Motor Car Co., 363 Hennessy Road, HONGKONG.
THE NEW
NASH
can
•
con-
Good Performance. also had a trial run on the lateat eight-cylinder "Dilambda". Lancia, the best-known Italian elght-cylinder car in use in this country,
flarrow's "dangerous hill," a Barrow corkscrew alley of an ascent of 1 in 4%, was climbed on this car's "silent-third." a good performance for any car, as one has to take it slowly from almost
standing start.
The Lancia "Dilambda" with its Weymanu panelled close-coupled touring saloon de luxe, costs £1,390. Its rating is 32 h.p., and is naturally at this price a purti- cularly inviting car.
This Lancia, with its "V"-type angle of 26 cylinders, set at an degrees, has excellent acceleration with a maximum speed of 80 r.p.h.
Running at 10 m.p.h., one can rench 50 m.p.h. In 20 seconds and 70 mp.li. in 36 seconds on top gear. The steering is very light, and the clutch is excellent. The springing also is smooth, with half-elliptic springs at the rear and independent coil springs for each front wheel.
How is it possible to make com- parisons between these different "eights" unlesa in terms of value
The
for muman "Vortic." with its 20 h engine, costing £425, is The steering admirable value. and springing are good and the gear-box is quiet, while the brakes not be bettered. But the Cou" has a wheelbase of only 10ft. 0 in. as compared with the "Dilambda's 11ft. Gin.. with its consequently larger couchwork.
Lancia
That is why the buyer pays nearly three times as much for this Italian-built carriage, with ita luxurious coachwork an bigger chassis.
مین
eight to 10-hour intervals.
Yet only two years ago the first transcontinental bus trip was mado!
It's a "Big Business,” Such mergers, transcontinental routes and the interest of rail- roads in bus lines have created extensive bus companies, One of the largest in the United States in the Public Service Co-ordinated Transport of Nowark, N. J. This company operates 2,400 buses and transporta 312.000,000 passengers
your.
Christmas Greetings
What Better Surprise Gift
FOR CHRISTMAS THAN
A FIAT CAR?
We have the following Models Ready for the Road
509 Tourer,
514 Tourer, 521 Saloon,
4 Cyl: 4 Cyl: (Saloons and Spyders) 6 Cyl:
520 Torpedo 6 Cyl: (also Coupe)
We make an allowance for your old Car. Spare Parts Always Available.
Service Station FIAT GARAGE and
LANCIA GARAGE Hennessy Road. Tel. 24841. Tel. 23557.
A. GOEKE & Co.
Tel. 22221. FIAT
AGENTS
THE NEW
Spare Parts Dept.
CHINA BUILDING
Fourth Floor.
Tel. 22221.
FAIR-FLIGHT
Principle Tyres
by
FISK
MEAN
MORE
mileage
Obtainable at all Garages upon request.
Sule Distributors:
GILMAN & Co., Ltd.
Telephone 28011.
To carry on such a business," a
-- "TimeTo Re-tire
GET AFISKY
TRADE MARE KIS, UK.PAP, OFF
da, Des Voeux Road, 0.
Here drivers are taught traff5e A concrete example of the of conditions in 1929.
must laws, courtesy, and mechanical growth of bus transportation la Last year there were 186 cities woll-trained organization
In order to keep problems about a bus. Classroom to be had by comparing the which had no other transporta- be maintained.
gures of 1922 with those of the tton except bus lines, and 62 per their buses operating on schedule courses are held on each subject, present. Then there were only 1 cent of the 1,032 citios in the and keep passengers pleased, big and no one is permitted to drive s cities which had any bus service
tions with a satisfactory grade, at all. That is almost the reverse country with more than 10,000 bus companies are establishing bus unless he has passed examin
Inhabitants are so served.
drivers' schools,
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