1931-11-26 — Page 3

THURSDAY,

NOVEMBER 26,

1931.

THE CHINA

MAIL.

THE CHEVROLET.

Motor Car Speeds Through Water.

Rough roads and steep hills offer no obstacles to modern automobiles and now the problem of crossing water is in a fair way of being solved, according to despatches from Germany:

J

Emil Gross, a young mechanic who lives in Berlin, has evolved an idea which may convert the motor car into an amphibious vehicle. He has demonstrated that with the special equipment he has construct ed, an automobile can be converted into a seagoing back in fifteen minutes.

At a recent test in Germany, a. Chevrolet touring car was used for the oxperiment. Gross won plause from the crowds of specta- tork who Jaw him drive his Chevrolet through the water almost as easily na a motor-boat.

SHANGHAI,

Most Cosmopolitan.. Motor City.

Los Angeles, Cal., Sept. Capt. James E. Snow, of the Marine Corps, whe has just return- ed to duty at the Marine Corps rifle range near La Jolla, on the road to Tin Juann and Agua Caliente in Old Mexico, has discovered the most cosmopolitan automobile city in the world. It is Shanghai, where for three years Capt. Snow, er Big Jim, as he is known to his friends, was Provost Marshal of the foreign settlement. Being Provost Marshal in Shanghai is a job like chief of traffic police in any big city.

While attending to three duties Capt. Snow made a study of the ap-number of makes of cars as well as the number of cara registered. The result could probably not be dupli- eated anywhere else in the world. Out of a total of 5,608 automobiles registered, Capt. Snow found no less than 164 different makes-a greater variety of automobile names than the average person could guess existed.

"Buick led

the registrations,"

An inflated cushion at the front and one at the rear of the car and two inflated pontoons, one on each, side of the body, were utilised to keep the vehicle afloat. The car was driven exactly the same as on land.

A SEA-GOING CHEVROLET

way among the crooked thorough- fares of the native section of the city.

"In contrast to the familiar namo Buick, are the names of over a hundred, cars which the .. average American hasn't even heard of. I had the names and the number re- gistered of all these cars printed in the Shanghai Municipal Gazette. Here are the rankings of the most Important:

Balck, 646; Ford, 482; Chevrolet, 375; Fiat, 317; Studebaker, 316;' Morris-C, 286; Austin, 243; Dodge, 213; Essex, 193; 216; Nash, M-Oxford, 185; Citroen, 178; Whip-| pet, 161; Hupmobile, 165; Chrysler, 128; Rugby, 92; Standard, 91; Erskine, 87; Overland, 85; Renault, 83: Oldsmobile, 72; Pontiac, 58."

"All other makes had from 1 to 49 cars registered."

"Wherever you go, it's Buick you see most of, and I've been in all parts of China, Japan, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Guam, Halti and San Domingo, Do you know that Sandino, the Nicaraguan Bandit, uses a Buick for his personal car when not in the hills?

"When you remember that there is a tax of 30 per cent, placed equal- ly on the value of all cars in Shang- hai, no matter of what make or from what country, you can realise just what a position Buick has attained."

PRODUCT OF GENERAL MOTORS

Buick

THE

EASIEST CAR IN

THE WORLD TO

DRIVE

A NEAR THING.

Famous Racing Driver's Narrow Escapes.

Earl Howe, president of B.R.D.C., has hud another remark- able escape. This time he was on his way to see the Schneider Trophy in his Alfa-Romeo, when it skidded, and he shot down a forty feet em- bankment. The car was consider. ably damaged, but the driver escap- ed unhurt..

the

Buick owners will tell you that the Buick Eight is the caslest car in · the world to drive. You will hear many of them remark on how fresh and relaxed they feel after driving their Buicks all day. Here's the proof. Drive a Bufek Eight. See how easily it sleera... how easily and silently the gears shift...how easily and quickly a light pedal pressure will bring the car to a smooth, full stop. Complete, perfect control at all times. Control of steering - con- trol of brakes - control of engine operation - all at the instant command of the driver. And that is just one of the reasons why women, as well as men in all parts of the world, bay from two to five times as many Bulcks as any other car in Euick's wide price range.

The 8 as BUICK Builds It

Knull Grows of Berlin, Germany, testing 1:58 invention on a Chevrolet, By means of Potatoons zhà two ifluded euchtops, any car can be coh- Verud into a sea-gelig ennwgance În Bfteen minutes. This Chevrolet- is driven just the mature as though it was on ind.

AUCTION DIVIDEND.

100 Per Cent. On Ordinary Shares.

The Austin Motor Co. enjoyed /auch a demand for its products in the year ended June 30 that the directors are recommending a divi- dend at the rate of 100 per cent. upon the ordinary capital.

It is stated that sales of cars in the home market were 26 per cent. above those of the previous year. The dividend paid for the previous period was 60 per cent. actual for seven months.

The high rate of dividend is a trifle misleading, for the ordinary capital is very small in relation to total capital, being only £150,000 out of £3,650,000 of share and deben- ture capital. The ordinary capital was originally £600,000, but 15s, per share was written off in 1927, and the 100 per cent, dividend is equi- valent to 25 per cent, on the original

sum.

1932 MOTOR-CYCLES.

It seems certain that the Motor- Cycle Show will contain quite a num- ber of new 150 cc. models, which will, of course, come within the 15s. tax class. Some of these will have four-stroke engines. Experiments with such machines have been made by more than one large factory.

The makers of the J.A.P. engine, too, will be making a four-stroke 150. It is a side-valve engine with a detachable head and is a nowcomer to the lengthy lat of engines mar- ketod, by the Tottenham concern, which will continue in production next season with detail changes only.

A new two-stroke unit, to come within the 158. tax class, may be ox- pected from a Midland factory that has not hitherto undertaken the -building of engines, while rumours. of similar developments in other directions are rife in Coventry and Birmingham.

said Capt. Snow, "with 646 cars, or 11 per cent. of the total. The ten leading makes represented 20 per cent. Of those ten leaders two Bre of foreign make and the re- maining 154 makes each has regis- tered from 1 to 100. One hundred and fifty makes hundred,

has less than a

This crash follows closely upon Earl Howe's "T.T." accident, when, chusing Campari down Bradshaw's Brac, he shot off the road backwards at 80 m.p.h. The car leapt a hedge. and landed on its four wh elal

At Le Mone this year, during practice, he was flat out down the two-mile-long straight, when he met a wandering cow in his path. He shot under the cow's head with nothing to sparel

OH THOSE TOURISTS!

A German journalist, Mr. Fred Kreutzenstein, is planning an ambi- tious trip from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to Montreal, in Canada. His means of transport will be a B.M.W. motor-cycle, and he will take as pillion a.Mr. Hellmat Hoffman passenger.

Бед

They will begin by going to Buenos Aires, in the Argentine, and will then make for the Pacific coast, by way of Chile and Peru, vo Ecua-

A short "Every nationality under the sun dor and Colombia. is represented in the ownership of journey may have to be included en Buicks. One may SCC A native route. The travellers will then pass Chinaman being driven around, the through the Central American re- narrow streets of Shanghai as well publica on their way to the States as an Afghan potentate in the latest and Canada. Mr. Kreutzenstein is model Buick limousine. Buicks of now completing his arrangements undetermined vintage, but still and hopes to undertake the tour going strong, serenely wind their within the next few months.

i

FAMOUS FLYERS IN JAPAN

THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR CO., LTD.

Telephone 30228.

33, WONG NEI CHUNG ROAD, HAPPY VALLEY.

HONG KONG'S NEW

TAXI SERVICE.

All New Willys

SALOON CARS

STATIONS:

Rumsey St., and Wing Lok St. opposite Wing On Co., and Sincere Co.

PROMPT and

COURTEOUS SERVICE.

SUN TAXI CO.,

45, Wing Lok Street, Office and Service Tel. No.

20415.

Japan'sroots Transpacific flyere-Colonel and Mm. Charles A. Lindbergh immediately upon their ar- rival in Tokio, find the progress of their Buick retarded. by, enthusikatio orówda waving Japaness and Americk fİLEN

DEMAND THESE FEATURES IN THE CAR YOU BUY

MONO-PIECE

STEEL BODY

HYDRAULIC BRAKES

LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY,

Money cannot buy three finer safety factors than Dodge Mono-Piece Steel Bodies, Low Center of Gravity and Hydraulic Brakes. The security you get when you drive the new Dodge Six and Eight is due to these three factors. Low center of gravity is achieved by a double-drop frame with a new- type box center which makes the chassis extremely strong and rigid. Further low- ness is contributed by the fact that the squeakless, jointless Mono-Piece Steel Body is mounted directly to the chassis without body sills... sharing the strength and steadi- ness of the heavy frame. Dodge Hydraulic Brakes are always equalized. They are fully enclosed, completely weatherproof, casy to operate, sure, safe always ...the most positively equalized brakes known. These features mean protection to you, extra value for you, every minute you spend in your ca.

DODGE BROTHERS

SIX AND EIGHT

SOUTH CHINA MOTOR CAR CO.

83, Des Voeux Road Central

Tel. 25644.

Tel. 25644,