1928-08-15 — Page 9

F

R

SINGER

JUNIOR-SENIOR-SIX

A Car for every Past and Purpose

H.K. $1,750.

GİLMAN & CO., LTD

MOTOR NOTES.

HAND SIGNALS.

CARELESS DELAY MAY RESULT IN ACCIDENTS.

Driving behind a car in a crowd ed district is certainly not an enjoy able pastime, and still less eo when the driver in front is slow in giving the hand signals. In many caste the drivers weglect to do this duty. The drivere of public vehicles in the Colony are perhaps the worst offenders. Time and again they are guilty of putting out a hand at the very last moment before they tura. The warning should, of couree, be given at a reasonable "distance from the turn which it is intended to negotiate.

HOUKRY

Immediate Delivery

THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15th,

1928.

MOTORING NOTES

K. 290.

IMMEDIATE

A Weekly Review dealing with Matters of Interest to all Local Motorists. Motor Notes-Hand Signals-The White Line Round Corners-Our Roads "Good"-Street Accidents-Motor Business in Japan-British Care in America-Motor Cars and Radio Sets in Sweden--Forty Years Old-Car Marks Running Out-Safety First for Motorists-Berths in British Motor Coaches-Fewer Stables and Fewer Flies.

THOSE BABY CARS.

Many papers have had a good deal to say lately about the baby cars that several manufacturers are supposed to be about to build. The Austin Seven has been threatened with a flood of imitators, in type not in details of design; and we have been told once again that the new models are going to drive the sidecar outfit off the market.

though, without very much effect, We have heard that before, 'al-

and I do not suppose that makers of motorcycle sidecar outfits are losing much sleep-if any-over the present excitement." From what I hear from my friends in the car world it does not look as it the next Olympia Show wil be exactly -packed with new "Sevens" at com- petitive prices, and even if it were the sidecar would no doubt hold its own pretty well, as no small car can ever touch it for all-round per formance and economy.-

" CARBON,' in Motor Cycling.

Austin 7

averages

66mph

for 24 hrs

Read this Record of

Proved Performances.

Austin 7, by over 70,000 enthusiastic Motorists. produced in 1922, is owned to-day

hai won more Races, Reliability Trials, Hill Climbing Competitions, and established more International Speed Records than any other car of comparable engine capacity and price.

Buy an Austin 7

and be assured that you have

1-A Proved Trustworthy Car of British måke

2-A car that has behind it a record of wonderful

achievement

3-A speedy and comfortable car that has no

equal at its price

4-An économică! car¬tötal running expenses in England less than one penny per mile!

Ask the local dealers for particulars and illustrated booklets" giving interesting details of the Austin 7 and other models,

WATCH

for announcement of great interest to ALL Motorists.

ALEX ROSS & CO. (CHINA), LTD.

Prince's Buildiog

Tel. C. 27.

THE WHITE LINE ROUND CORNERS.

At nearly every corner on the road to Repolse Bay white lines have been painted. The presence of theee white marks certainly. gives the driver a feeling of safety that he is within his area and that

the unseen ear coming in the op- posite direction will probably also keep to its side and thereby obli terate any danger of a collision.

A NAME 'WANTED,

It is curious that so far a single word has not been coined

to

OUR ROADS "GOOD."]'

OPINIONS OF LEYLAND AND THORNYCROFT EXPERTS.

COMPARABLE WITH MANY

OTHER COUNTRIES.

The writer had the opportunity of meeting representatives of two of our biggest Motor Truck Manu: facturers at Home whose produc tions also include heavy passenger coaches. Both have had experi ence of roads all over the world and their opinions of our highways are therefore of special interest.

Mr. S. Howard, of Mesars Thornycroft, Ltd., who is at pre sent aseisting in the tembling of

Éve

Dew

BRITISH CARS IN AMERICA.

AMERICAN MOTORISTS WHO APPRECIATE BRITISH QUALITY,

The United States is the most difficult market in the world for the British car manufacturer. The large selection of home produced cars from which motorist can choose, and the ex- the American

tremely high duties which have to be paid on all imported cars, has prevented British developing businees of any magni- makers from rek

describe a "filling station." The use of the phrase, says The Light Car and Cyclecar, illustrates the cons servatism of the national mind. Motorista have never taken kindly to the word "fuel," which is more

35-aeater Thornycroft popularly associated with wood and buses (U.B. Type) for the Kow- British cars are bought by Ameri- Each year a limited number of coal. Nor is the word "depat." any more to their liking, and on travelled extensively in Chian. He teh quality and are prepared to loon Motor 'Bus Company, has

can motorists who appreciate Bri- can see that fuel depot would remarked that there are very few pay the heavy import duty to have no chance of being adopted.

places in the Far East which can "Gas," as applied to motor boast of such good roade as we spirit, is an alien word which have en both sides of the Harbour. obtain no lodgment in Britain, and "It is true," be eaid, "that the "juice"

is hopelessly slangy. cambering of the corners in many "Filling station," like Topay, seems cases need a little attention, but to have growed," and there is cer- otherwise there is nothing that can tainly no ambiguity about its mean-be complained of." ing. Yet "chauffeur" and "garage" came to help us, and perhaps some thing as slick may be discovered for

the newer term.

DRIVING COMFORT.

His answer to a question about the use of eand at the corners was cynically humorous, His reply Was "Oh the Dunlop people are at the back of that! However, he also remarked that a mixture of tar and another chemical was I suggest, says a writer in The obtainable from the big Petro- Light Car and Cyclecar, that if you leam Companies and could be used had to choose an armchair for air place of the sand. Mr. Howard five-hoari' sitting you would choose one as unlike the average seat of a car as possible! Why Because your spine when sitting really a ease does not preserve its fore and aft " curves; it resolves itself into gentle curve, varying in individuals, and not unlike a very shallow letter C. But on maty, many cars the seat squab is shaped to fit a human back only when held in the position of a Guards' sergeant on parade. No wonder some of us feel fatigued after a couple of hours at the wheel

one

"

The driver's seat squab should be either perfectly flat or slightly con- cave, and not in any way convex or shaped. It should be tilted back at a slight angle, which should be adjustable. The seat must be made

t

was very pleased with the road eur- face at Kowloon and is of the opinion that it would be possible to run double decker buses with- out any fear of destroying the road. Leyland's Representative.

Lt. Col. B. Woodhouse, O.B.E., the representative of the Leyland Motors, Ltd., for the Far East and Australia, has been out East for a little over six months and is very satisfied with the manner in which the British motor industry is pro gressing in the East. Mr. Wood- house, as he prefere to be called; has been associated with the motor- ing industry for some 20 years, and during the Great War was attached to the Royal Artillery Section and looked after" the tractors and

to slide in, order. to get the comather motors for hauling guns. He fortable angle of the legs for people has spent a few years in Australia of different heights.

and made one or two interesting references to the motor trade

down under,"

Lastly, some form of support is required for the arms. They tire quickly if hanging continuously by their own weight from the wheel. An armrest for the right arm and the wheel low enough for the, left forearm to lie on the lap mects this point.

AIR LOSSES FROM PNEUMATIC TYRES.

He was very pleased with our roade and remarked that compared, to the roads of Australia we had nothing to grumble about. He also is of the opinion that double decker buses, would do no harm to our road surface, and in reply to the question of safety said that if the Metropolitan 'Bus Service of Loa don and Glasgow were permitted to run these type of 'buses, he was confident that they would meet with favour at any other city." There are corners as bad as Hong Kong's in London, and they do not cause any anxiety to the public what over.

?

Some laboratory and road texts recently made with pneumatic tyres have led to the opinion that the normal loss of air pressure from a tube as the result of diffusion can be said to be an average of 10 per cent. per week. The subject is one of considerable interest, not only

His only auggestion as to to motorists, but to all users having alternative for sand on the roads commercial vehicles equipped with was concrete. The sun would have this form of tyre, for, although the little or no effect on each roads. tests were carried out with high-which in many cases are three feet pressure and low-pressure, tyres thick However, he agreed that used for private cars, the resulta although the ideal type of through- would probably be practically the way it was a more than many a same in bigger tyres, as in many city could afford. of the giants the pressures are cor- e respondingly higher.

It is interesting, says The Cam- mercial Motor, to note that as the pressure decreases, due to leakage, s the quantity of air lost also diminishes, but the amount is still

BERTHS IN BRITISH MOTOR

COACHES.

Losbor, July 22nd.

To the buffets and lavatories,

10 per cent of the pressure. Apart which have long been provided in from the diffusion leakage,, which long-distance motor coaches are it is impossible to arrest, there is now added sleeping accommoda- always the question of that from tion,

the valve, and this is often for The new buses plying between, greater than should be the case. Newcastle and London at night Each time tyre is inflated the henceforth will be fitted with sleep- plunger scating or seal has to being berthe arranged in tiers, aix broken to permit the entrance of on each side. The fares are below air and, in some cases, a small third-class rail rates. particle of dirt mixed with grease

is admitted or becomes lodged upon the rubber gasket and prevents the valve from seating correctly; of course, if proper valve caps be em ployed and kept tight, this should have no effect upon the amount of air lost.

OTHERWISE AN OPTIMIST

"Dad," said John, what is a superhuman7"

Het one, my son replied his -dad, “who can still think of it as a pleasure ear while changing a tyre in the pouring rain."

CONTACT," in The Motor...

SOME FATHER-

A lady reader vouches for the following garn. Touring not long, go in Norfolk, she met a solo motor-cycle, driven by a girl. On the pillion was a man, carrying a baby. That combination is scarcely common, but what nearly sent-my |informant ́ntraight into the bedge with excitement and indignation was the fact that papa was holding his wretched offspring apside down i. She asks me to comment on-the- outraga-but to do so effectively would be to sully these fair pages!

CARBON," in Motor Cycling...

SINGER

“A Car for every, Purse & Purpose

11.9-HP-

K. 226.

DELIVERY

H.K.$2,600

Senior"-Tourer.

4 Wheel Vacuum Servo Brakes. Dewandre Steering.

GILMAN * CO., LTD. | 'DURO MOTOR CO., LTD.

Hong Kong Baat

FEWER STABLES-AND

FEWER FLIES.

Where have the fiee gone this summer t

This question is being asked by many Londoners, who have noticed the absence of the usual pest, in spite of the heat wave,

Major Austen, entomology expert at the South Kensington Natural History Museum, said to a Daily Mail reporter:

+

KOWLOON.

MOTOR-CARS AND RADIO

SETS IN SWEDEN."

BIG MARKETS.

Offcial reports on the number of motor-care and radio sets in Sweden, just published, show a strikingly rapid increase.

In 1918 the number, of motor vehicles in Sweden was 8,000 but since then the number has in- The house fly has undoubtedly creased by an average of sightly decreased in certain -parts-of over 15,000 a year, and during the London owing to the replacement period 1924-37 by 18,000 a year," of horse traffic by motor-cars. while in 1997 the increase was The chief breeding grounds are 24,501, the last figure including, the stables and rubbish dumps, however, also lightweight motor but nearly all the mows are now bicycles. By January 1st, 1998, the occupied by garages.

total number of motor vehicles in Sweden was 143,363, 110,138 of which were automobilas and 35,098

The number of. motor bicycles. drivers licences issued has in creased from 7,000 in 1918 to about 275,000 by the end of 1927.

A little time ago a place which had been free from flies suddenly had a plague of them. It was them discovered that a grocer had started to keep a pony, and the flies bad bred in the stable.

record was made they would un- doubtedly all have been sold within a very few houre.

A similar rapid rise is shown by gratify their desires. As an in-

the number of licences for radio stance, when Major Segrave on the

whole country as 304,363 and the sets. The latest figure for the 1.000 h.p. Sunbeam achieved the

last monthly increase was 3,804 first speed record ever attained

licences. It is stated that Sweden standard 3-litre Sunbeam aports purchased from time to time by centual number of radio sets in the over 200 m.p.h, he had with him a Other Sunbeam cars have been now, probably has the highest pro- model. He was literally beeciged American motorists, and a Florida world in comparison with its num- with would-be buyers for this car, owner of a 90 h.p. six-cylinder Sun- ber of inhabitants. Stockholm has and it was eventually sold to Mr. beam recently wrote expressing his the highest number or 58,969, but Gar Wood, the American epced complete satisfaction with this procentually the city of Motain been a stock of Sunbeam 'care availing that he proposed ordering broadcasting station is located, Had there British-built car, and also intimat¦ where Sweden's newest high-power able, in America when the speed another Sunbeam- 3-litre model leads with 138 licences per 1,000

(Continued on next Column).

motor boat builder.

at an early date.

inhabitants.

Go where you will even to the far corners of the earth-you are in easy access of á select dealer pledged to help you get from Goodyear Tyres all the value built into them at the factory.

Next Time Buy Goodyear

GOO

GOODYYEAR

THE GREATEST NAME IN BUBBER

DISTRIBUTORS:

ALEX. ROSS & Co. (China), Ltd.

PRINCES BUILDING, HONG KONG.