THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, MOTORING SUPPLEMENT. SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1931.
THE NEW
FAIR-FLIGHT
PRINCIPLE TYRES by
FISK
This New Principle is the
invention of FISK
One:
of the World's Greatest Tyre Companies.
It gives at last the Luxury
of an Air-Borne Car.
means
more
mileage
Sole
Distributors:
GILMAN & CO., LTD.
4A. Des Vœux Road, C.
Hongkong Bank Bldg..
Telephone 28011.
TRUST A THORNYCROFT With Your Transport
DEAL DIRECT.
THORNYCROFT
SIX-CYLINDERED
COACHES & OMNIBUSES
MOTOR VEHICLES
Pioneer Manufacturers of Commercial Motor Vehicles
THE LAND SPEED RECORD.
In 33 Years Speeds Have Increased. From 39 m.p.h. to 245 m.p.h.
The first authenticated world's many have tried dispute our record was established no fower supremacy in this direction. than 33 years ago, when one First eamo K. Lee Guinuous Chaaacloai-Laubat, driving a with a 350 h.p. Sunbeam, a giant Jeantaud car, averaged the mean of 4 car, which
Honu too cany speed of 30.24 m.p.h. for the tok
as others found out to their kilometre a really prodigious per-
Rene Thomas broke formance. That not the ball roll the Gallida Hill record with it, the
Harry Hawker ing, or, more strictly speaking, the late
hurdled wheels revolving, and in the follow-through the fence in it at Brook-, ing year Jenatzy, a German, who lands and Juen later earned the soubriquet of the
tried his handsagne also this speed "Red Devil," raised the figures monster. Lee Gufuness, however, of his was the only one who acemed to some 20 m.p.h, with a car
be thoroughly at home with
it and own manufacture,
Hemery,
it was rather a hair-raising sight when he was clocked to do a mean speed of 129.17 m.p.h. on the Brooklands circuit, for down the
some time he had been in posses- sion of the identical Sunbeam with which K. Leo Guinness captured the record la 1022. Campbell, as
160.766 m.p.h. and 150.889 m.p.h. respectively.
The late J. G. Parry Thomas, undeterred by Campbell's feat,
a matter of fact, had also obtained | then started upon the construc- several recorda with the car. tion of a new car of For instance, he obtained the nature.
a nondescript It was a foaraomo-look- world's flying kilometre on Sait-leg monster, nicknamed "Baba" burn Sands at
mean speed of by the brilliant engineer-driver, 134.07 m.p.h. and at the Inter- and powered with a 12-cylinder national Speed Trials at Fanco Liberty aero engine of umpteen Island. Denmark, he was credited thousand e.c. capacity built into with having nocured the world's a chain-driven chassis. Thomas flying mile and kilometre records was confident it would go quite at the respective average mean quickly. Ho
was right.
At the speeds of 137.82 m.p.h, and 138.32 very first attempt on Pondine ni.p.h. He also covered a mile in Sands he shattered Campbell's one direction at 146.40 m.p.h. speed by approximately 18 m.p.h. Unluckily for Campbell, however, Having achieved his object he did these figures were not confirmed, not rent on bis laurols. Later in owing to the fact that the elec- the year-1926-he raised it still History of the Land Speed Record.
Car Jenntand Jenatzy
World's
American Record
Record, m.p.h.
Year.
1898
Driver. Chassolouy-Laubat
39.24
1899
Jenatzy
65.79
1902
Serpollet
Serpollet
76.08
1902
Fournier
Mors
76.60*
1902
Auglera
Mors
77.18*
1003
1003
Duray
1903
been so
Two years later, in 1924, the luto J. G. Parry-Thomas, with his wonderful Leyland-Thomas, which at one time was hard-pushed to do much more than 90 m.ph., had and modified by its driver that Lee'
Henry Ford
Gobron-Brillte Ford
84.21*
91.37
1001
1904
W. K. Vanderbilt
Mercedes
92,307
1904
Rigolly
Gobren-Brillle
93.20*
1904
de
1904
Rigully
Catera
Mercedes
07.20*
Gobron-Brille
103.66*
1904
Baras
Darracq
104.58*
1905
A. Macdonald
Napier
104.65
TR05
H. L. Bowden
Mercedes
109.76
1906
1990
F, Marriott
Stanley Steamer 127.059
1000
1909
V. Homery
Benz
116.923
1910
Barney Oldfield
Benz
181.724
1311
Bob Burman
Benz
Bonz
141.732
1914
L. G. Hornsted
Benz
124.00
1919
R de Palma
Packard
149.876
1920
T. Milton
Duesenberg
156,046
1902
K. Lee Guinness
Sunbeam
129.17
1924
J. G. Parry-Thoms
129.78
1924
Rene Thomas...
143.312
1924
E. A. D. Eldridge
145.00
1926
M. Campbell
Sunbeam
150.766
1926
J. G. Parry-Thomas
168,075
1926
J. G. Parry-Thomas
Thomas Special.
170.624
1927
M. Campbell
174.224-
1927
H. O. D. Begrave
Sunbeam
203.790
1928
M. Campbell
Napier-Campbell
200.956
1028
Ruy Keech
White-Triplex ...
207.552
1929
II. O. D. Segrave
Irving-Napier
201.002
1931
M. Campbell......
Napier-Campbell
245.730
Three years elapsed before Jenatzy's figures were challenged und then, in 1930, three Frenchmnou in succession raised the figure until the mile record stood 12 miles high-railway straight he reached weil er. The famous Duray raised it over 140 m.p.h. to 84.21 m.p.h. in 1908. The Americans then took a hand in the game, through the medium of Henry Ford, who established a now national record of 91.37 m.ph.
fewer In 1904 there were no than five successful attempts on the world's record, and the Arst Guinness's record fell by a small This started the battle man to have the honour of accom-margin.
The famous plishing 100 m.p.h. was Rigolly, in real earnest. driving a Gobron-Brillte. This Frenchman, Rene Thomas, entered stood as a world's record for five the fray with a huge Delage and years, when Victor
promptly sent the Agurca soaring driving a Benz, covered the mile by the big margin of 14 m.p.h.
Nothing
daunted, another Eng- at a mean speed of 115.923 m.p.h.
lishman E. A. D. The first Englishman to dispute
Eldridge the overwhelming successes of the joined issue. He had had built, foreigners was that famous pilot, leviathan in the shape of an aero- under his supervision, a real Arthur Macdonald, who, with a six-engined Fint, which was practicni- cylinder 30 h.p. Napler, beat the
ly all engine. It required a super. previous best of Baras (Darracq) man to hold it at speed, especially by decimal points. This, however, on a track, and Eldridge was
that only ranked as an American record,
On
banking, and although four Americans in
either at Brooklands or Montlhery, turn raised the speed until it stood It had a habit of negotiating the at 111.73 m.p.h.-In 1911-it was banking with tail and nose not until 1914 that L. G. Hornated, down, while it up
wanted the re- driving a Benz, officially took the sources of a tyre factory to re- world's record from Barsa at over pince treads flung, burat covers two miles a minute. Rolph de and the like. Eldridge attempted Palma and Tommy Milton-the lat and got his record on that wonder- ter with a 16-cylinder Duesenberg ful bit of road at Arpajon, the
-Increased the national record to
Frenchman being beaten by the close on 160 m.p.h.
small but sufficient margin of 24 m.n.b.
British Drivers Outclass Opposition.
superman.
the
Recent World's Record Disallowed.
From 1922 until the
present time the opposition has been com- There wern, however, two other pletely outclassed by British Englishmen hankering after the drivers, for only two others, Reno record, and they made no secret Thoms and the Inte Ray Keech, of their intentions. Capt. Mal. have figured in the list, althoughcolm Campbell was one, and for
Leyland-Thomna
Delage
Flat
Thomas Special
Napler-Campbell
"These records were run over the flying kilometre which was up
to 1004 a recognized distance.
trical-timing appagtus had not further to
#
170.024 m.p.h., but ben submitted to or approved by shortly after this fourless sports- ti. A.LA.C.R. Nevertheless, the man lost his life in attempting to Sunbeam was rightly assumed to regain the record wrested from be the fastest ear in existence and him by Capt. Campbell with his with so capable a driver it was Napier-Campbell.
that confidently expected
tho record would fall when Campbell, on July 21, 1925, went to Peudine Sands,
The assumption was correct. for the speeds of the flying mile and flying kilometre wêre taken to
The New
Campbell's Earlier Sunbeam Eclipsed.
over
Undeterred. and yot striving for speed and yet more apeod, Campbell realized that his (Continued on Page 3.)
BUICK 8
The Eights vrith Buicks Prestige
Worthy of the Confidence the Public has in Buick. Even by paying thousands of dollars more for a fine car, you could not get more comfort and more thrilling performance than this new Buick gives you.
In addition to those fundamental features and advantages which have been characteristic of Buick for 25 years, you'll find the most advanced, approved engineering principles embodied in the new car. The syncro mesh transmission with its high degree of perfection-- the 8 cylinder motor providing the power, speed and dependability that you expect from the famous valve-in-head type-aud dozens of other outstanding features in chassis and body contribute to the now famous Buick slogan "When Better Automobiles are Built. Buick will Build Thenr."
114 Whoolbase Buick Models
118' Wheelbase Buick Models 124" Wheelbase Buick Models 132′ Wheelbane Buick Modola
G$1,530 to $1,655
G$1,820 to G$1,930
G$2,160 to G$2,195
G$2,160 to G$2,705
THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR CO., LTD.
TELEPHONE 80228.
33, WONG NEI CHUNG ROAD, HAPPY VALLEY.
4 or 6 Wheels.
4 or 6 Cylinders
30 Cwt. to 10 Ton Loads
20 to 70 Passengers
JOHN I. THORNYCROFT & CO., LIMITED
Pioneer Building, Nathan Road, Kowloon.
TEL. 56752.
Trust A THORNYCROFT WITH YOUR TRANSPORT