1928-09-19 — Page 10

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THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, 1928.

MOTORING NOTES

(CONTD.)

A NEW ERA IN MOTORING.

ROUND THE ROADS. LOCAL MOTOR-CYCLING

the

NOTES.

THE PROPOSED TRIAL,"

Was

CAR WITH FRONT WHEEL DRIVE

SKIDDING ALMOST

· ELIMINATED.

portion of molished and instead of meeting end this project will go through. the main road at right angles the But this latest proposal for entrance to Kennedy Road now lengthy run at Kowloon has not joins the main road in a wide received the support it deserves,

but the Club has no intention of ing year.

A large

the abandoning the idea. proportion of Colony's traffic finds its way through Queen's Road East, Wan- chai into Happy Valley. Motor cars heading for Happy Valley

curve.

GREAT MOTOR-WAYS FOR AIRSHIPS FOR US ARMY,

an

SPAIN.

ROAD AND RAILWAY REFORM.

NO HORSE TRAFFIC PERMITTED.

4.

BARCELONA

DETAILS OF NON-RIGID TYPE.

WILLY'S OVERLAND TRIUMPH.

·KNIGHT ENGINED CAR AT MODERATE PRICE.

· DISTINGUISHED." OWNERS AND THEIR CARS. LORD BALFOUR "RANII,” ETC.

Rootes Ltd. have received am There was a time when the

never dreamed of order for a Hillman Saloon for Average

the British Consul in the "Asires" car with a Knight possessing double-sleeve engine. But now, Not long ago they supplied a car of similar make to the British' after many years of development, Minister at Athens the Willys-Overland Company is able to offer the general public a six cylinder Knight-engined car to sell in the same price class with ordinary low-priced poppet valve sixes.

market.

started

Two non-rigid airships of the "TC" type are under construction for the United States Army Air Carpa in the arconautical depart SOME LOCAL TOPICS.

ment of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company at Akron, Ohio,

Of more than ordinary interest Spain is shortly to be endowed These ships will use newly design Good progress is being made

to motorists was the gift made to POSTPONED INDEFNITELY,"

with.. motorways which have noted control surfaces evolved by

Goodyear, engineers.

Lord Balfour, the well known with the road improvements at the

their counterpart in Europe. ̧.·'

Due, in part, to deficient railway The two airships will have a A British motor firm bas estab- corner by the Royal Naval Hos

This took the political friends. pital and the Kennedy Road ens "Postponed indefinitely"

lished ä new ers in motoring, communication, the idea was to capacity of 200,000 cubic feet and

statesman, on his 80th birthday by form of a 40-50 h.p. Rolls-Royce cently mooted of establishing trunk will be used for training the flying

**It Look five years of the hardest New Phantom, fitted with a very trance is now nearly in shape. the only answer given to our re- large portion of the old retaining presentative's inquiry about the writes the Hon. Maynard Greville, motor-ways so as to provide more personnel at the army lighter-than-

time, induce the foreign motorist overall length of 1,995 feet, ever done to produce that car," gether, was a gift worthy of the wall of the Hospital has been pull motor cycle trial which the Hong the London Morning Post Motor rapid transit and, at the same air stations. They will have an work Willys-Overland Inc., has handsome saloon body and, alto

diameter of 45 feet and will be said Mr. John N. Willys, president

occasion. The New Phantom to visit Spain. ed down and,behind it now stands Kong Volunteer's Motor-Cycle Sec-ing Correspondent.

Recently I had a prolonged trial

The Government has, during the powered by two Wright motors. of the big Toledo manufacturing chassis, of course, lends itself to This adds a high wall.

some tion proposed to hold at Kowloon.

past few days, granted concessions Their maximum speed will be 60 plant when he was asked about the luxurious coachwork and this is de- the establishment of motor miles per hour and the cruising new Standard Willys Knight Six monstrated in a Coupe de Ville re- twenty feet to the width of the road The Volunteers are an extremely of a front wheel drive Alvis Tent me

& Maberly of Devonshire House. at this corner.. On the other side enthusiastic group of motor-éyclists, by Henly, of Devonshire House for

and from Madrid to Irun on the hour. -like entrance to Kennedy Road-it is to them that our thanks are, and Great Portland Street, W..ways between Madrid and Valencis speed is estimated at 45 miles per that he recently, placed on the, cently built for a client by Thrupp At maximum speed the ships will Our. Knight car manufacture In this car the futed beading is with the Willys-Knight" solid silver and interior panciling Wesleysa due for the inst Reliability Trial and I am so impressed with the French frontier. hompanies and, have a range of 888 miles and at Methodist Church wall has been de fand it is to be hoped that in the novel features of this car and with" are to be granted to companies and, cruising speed, their flying radius Great Six and we have been work! and cabinet work is similarly in- as such, are obviously in the nature road-holding of

The State will be 1,373 miles, when travelling ing on it ever since in one way or laid.

another," he continued.

H.H. The Jam Sahib of Nawana- its extraordinary

of two millions of fully manned and equipped. aqualities that. I think it deserves grants a experiment

During the last 19 years Good- "Now we have attained a manu-gar has ordered a very handsome that from year has built more than 100 air facturing goal which we set when 16/45 h.p. Wolseley Silent Six three millions for special meation as one of the out-pesetas for the Valencia road and

Knight production from four touring type and is finished in standing achievements of the mator-adrid to Irun. The exploiting ships of this size for use of the we started to change our Willys for his personal use. This is of

companies will make a fixed charge Army and Navy.

eylinder models to sixes. It has white with black wheels and wings been a difficult task and it has re-and red leather upholstery. The I am aware that ather front to vehicles using the motor-ways, on which no horse traffic will be

scheme which will be certainly quired the maximum energy of both Maharaj Kumar Jeyendra Bingh of. Owing to inability of several wheel drive cars have been pro- permitted,

The two roads will be constructed realised before that date. It is engineering and sales departments Orchha, too, has ordered & similar chassis, the body in this case, how- members of the Committee to attend duced abroad, but these have been

One of the reasons has been the ever, being a S-seater finished in tice. Besides exceeding in width of the Puigcerda-Barcelona "Rail- the meetings it was decided to post-enly for racing purposes-America, according to the most modern prac that of the reduction of the gauge to bring it to a completion." on event to a time when they for example, has had front wheel any routes of the kind constructed way, which will permit trains of exacting manufacturing require- beige and brown. would all be together.

in Europe or America, they will be normal European gauge to run ments put upon the Willys-Over- The trial as proposed would have drive races for some years.

The Alvis Company itself experi- provided with lateral ways for from Paris or any part of France land plants in the development of entering into the work of building.

In to Barcelona without the annoyance the Willys-Knight motor. Basical the cat. cycle and motorcycle traffic.

one. for The reception of the Willys- been a real novelty cyclists in the Colony. The time of running it was arranged so as mented for about four years with order to facilitate their construe of having to change trains at the ly this power plant is to avoid all possibility of trouble racing cars until it produced the tion, the requisita machinery will frontier. The length of the line higher priced cars. We have had Knight Great Six and of the standard sports model, be admitted into Spain free of from Puigcerdà, on the French to maintain the European stan Willys-Knight 70 which closely frontier, to Barcelona is 150 kilo-1 dards of excellence in construction followed have helped materially." with traffic. It was to have been from midnight until the following

large sales volume in their respec- out the change to normal, price standards as well. on with a long interval for break which is the same as the two cars These schemes are complementary metres, and it is planned to carry and we had to conform to lower Both of these cars atepped into

To bring the high achievements tive price classer. in twenty-four fast. The run was, to be round which did so well at Le Mans this to that of the "National Cirenit.

which is now being carried out, English gauge,

in manufacturing and design, reThere is a feeling of general and which provides for a motor hours. the New Territory circuit twice

The line is already electrified quired in the construction of satisfaction throughout the entire 4" Suction" Dar.''

road round Spain with the same during the night, ending up with * breaker at the Cafeteria, after

The new model front wheel drive object of attracting the foreign and the power is arranged for. Knight motored car to the price Willys-Overland organization, now which a round in the opposite

Alvis adper sports car might well tourist and, at the same time, pro- Travellers to Spain and those who range of the lower priced sixes has that the goal we set has been ac visit the exhibition next year will necessitated mechanical develop complished. We believe that it will viding better communications. direction would be started.

It is not expected that either of be privileged to pass through ment of specialized machinery, the mean a great deal to the motoring speed limits were very reasonable, be termed a "suction" car, as, in- and the run should have been very

these roads will be ready in time scenery both in France and Spain attainment of the most efficient enjoyable.

price classes that every demand for the exhibitions at Barcelona unsurpassed for its beauty. On the manufacturing procedures in all public to be able to buy a Willys- closest regulation of all elements except that for the lowest priced

(Continued on next Column), v light cars will be intisfied." and Seville in the spring of 1999, Spanish side, at Tossa, the line departments of the plants and the Knight in such a wide range of

from the upper levels at Robinson and Caine Roads would find it much more confortable if they passed along Kennedy Road and the out into Happy Valley at Royal Naval Hospital. In doing so they would miss all the con- gestion of Wanchai-especially be tween the hours of 5.30 p.m. to a p.m. when the traffic is at its height. There are, however, one or two sections of Kennedy Road where there is anything but a good

surface.

In "dealing with this question of congestion it is remarkable the

amount of traffic which prefers to squeeze its way past the trams and pedestrians of Queen's Road when rond-the Bund has the next

exactly the same surface and is as wide as can be wished. The con- gestion question is one which the Traffic Department will have to take in band in the near future considering the ever increasing motor transportion passing through the narrow streets of the town.

many motor-

The

It is hoped that the Committee will be able to meet at an early date and draw up fresh plans.

A Silent Motor,

Perhaps the most silent running motor cycle combination on the road is the new 750 as, twin which has been added to the existing range of models made by the Harley Davidson Motor Cycle Company.

reserve.

present

year.

stead of the car being pushed along through the back wheels, it is drawn along with the front. The result

is that the ear's 'controllability is

astonishing, as it has to follow the front wheels, while, in my opinion, the independent springing of each wheel almost eliminates all the dis- advantages of the old type

Each year the Factory receive sión. hints and suggestions from its

The car has to be" driven to million riders and some of these are put into operation in each realise the perfection of this spring- annual model. The new 750 ce. twining, and can be taken across places, is the Factory's latest answer to the that would disintegrate the ordi numerous applications for a silent, Handy Gas Stations.

strong and small motor capable nary car. The fact that there is no axle at the back; and only short Thanks are due to the Asiatic of doing hard work and hauling a Petroleum Co.'s foresight in erect-side-car with abundant power in driving axles at the front, so that ing a handy and complete pump

each wheel, when it encounters a station at West Point Only last year the writer ran out of petrol

bump, moves up and down indepen- along Pokfulam Road on the way

dently of any of the others, makes back to Town; and, hoping that the few Chinese Garages in West

for this smoothness, while the fact Paint would oblige, the down hill

that the usual cumbersome propel ler shaft is absent means that the run was continued where much to his regret and inconvenience, not

body and chassis can be made far one would help. They excused

lower at the rear. themselves saying it was a bother

The new features on all Harley to get what gas they had and that a journey into town was necessary, Davidson models have already been Only laat week, the same thing ocinade known to enthusiasts through curred and hoping against hope this paper, and readers are advised the journey was once more made to call and seo the new, twin for down hill where the newly install ed pump itation at the Trom Tex- minus was discovered. The A.P.C.

has now one more humble admirer

and its future is assured!

Night Signals: The Beacon Light. It will be noticed that the Traffic Department have re-com- meneed the light signals at night at the bottom of Garden Road, The newly installed Stop and Go sign works well during the day, but at night the lights are far easier to sec, and to those with poor eye-sight the resumption of

the lights is a boon.

how

Incidentally it is surprising slow

well the plan of the red

down" light at the corner of Des Voeux Road and Pedder Street has worked out. The ever elert traffic constables stand by in case of ac cidents but they appreciate the existence of the beacon light as much as do motorists.

Could not a similar red light sign be placed at the junction of Pedder Street and Queen's Road? The traffic constable on duty at this spot is exhausted after a day's work, while a series of misunder- standings, especially at night cause

It is really

Mesars A. Gascon & Co., the local agents, have just assembled and delivered one of these models to a proud owner who made a claim of 83 m.p.h on the very first day of delivery and without running the motor in. Further it was stated that the speed test was made with 250 lb. passenger in the small side-car.

themselves,

or

The

That there are disadvantages I- will not deny, but I think that these can all be overcome.

Firstly, there is a decided waste

of space under the bonnet, as, in Zenith Cycles. Mesars, Gilman & Co. have also addition to the engine, the clutch acquired the agency of a very gear box and final bevel drive have popular English motor-cycle-the to be accommodated there in front Zenith. Two of these cycles have of the engine instead of under the been received and are on view at floor boards behind it, so that there the Duro Garage, Kowloon. prices of three cycles with electric is not so much room left for the lighting are extremely reasonable, $500 being the price of the 350 e.e. side valve model, while the 500 e.c. side valve machine cost 8673. Both cycles have saddle tanks and adjust able handlebars are fitted with the

famous J.A.P. engines.

Tramway's Guy Buses.

bodywork."

-

Again, on a loose surface with large stones, or on newly-spread tar, the front wheels, being the driving wheels, pick up atones and dirt and hurl them at the driver, but this is only a matter of making the mudguards more efficient.

The ear can be cornered at speeds quite twenty per cent, higher than drive those of any back-wheel

Three of the Tramway's Guy vehicle that I know. It is possible, Motor Buses have been assembled of course, to make the back swing at the Company's Workshop, and round by cornering viciously, but, it is hoped to commence the service during the first week of November. directly the accelerator is depress the direction in which the front The proposed Service by the Hong, the whole car has to follow in Kong Hotel is also to start next wheels are pointing, and ordinary month, and three of their Vulcan Buses are now ready at the Hotel's skidding is almost eliminated.

Light Steering. Garage at Happy Valley.

Alex Rosa's New Garage. The steering is extraordinarily The Garage being built for light, and is quite the safest-feeling. much screaming of brakes and un-Messrs. Alex Ross & Company is that I have ever experienced, as necessary blunders. difficult to see the traffic officer's nearing completion. According to there is no possibility of wheel stick with a dazzling headlight be the contract the building should be wobble or axle." dither."

Anished the end of this month,

As a car, the front-wheel drive. hind him, but a red light would but it is doubtful if the Garage about 80 miles an hour with a 1,500 Alvis has a maximum speed of scon solve the 'problem.

will be ready for service until a Why Not Dim Lights In Town. few weeks after this date. How cc engine, and a speed of a little Motor cars are being developed ever, the two European service men over 60 miles an hour on the third each year and simultaneously the at the Company's workshop in ratio of the four-speed gear-box. powerful. car demands a stronger and more penetrating light Bat this means that it is really impos sible to see past an on-coming Friends of Mr. Getz will also be

vehicle showing its full

Chater Road are busy stock-taking and preparing for the trip to Kow loon."

Mr-Get

It is more than probable that

there is a great future for the front

wheel drive car, more particularly

a Captain Malcolm Campbell and Major Segrave have both been con

head very pleased to hear that he is exsidering the type for future at lights Surely the bright lightspected back in the Colony some tempts on the world speed record, of the town, especially those time next month. It is stated that for which purpose it should be in Nathan Road, Kowloon, are the operation for which he left for ideal

quite sufficient? There is really no America has been successful and he Again, I understand that there is necessity for such strong head in well on the way to recovery. lights. In this connection credit is due to the new Morris Tari-cab Bervice who have Luca Dipping Headlights Atted to all their Taxis. Another popular car with this in genious fitting is the Fiat car

An interesting comparison is

a project to build a small, cheap The Morris Minor, B. enr. with a four-cylinder engine could

"A photograph appeared in one of scross the frame, employing the recent issues of the Motor front-wheel drive, which Magazine from Home, but no deprobably be sold for under £100, tails were given. The illustration It is gratifying to find a British showed the car to be extremely fra like Alvis, of Coventry, suf

appearance to its ficiently enterprising to spend

be seen, in the restriction against similar in

a motor-cyclist using his spot light brothers, Ox and Cow," but the years in the development of this car

in town while the glaring head-Local Agents for this interesting at great expense, and to lead the light of the big cars are permitted. The Hong Hony Hotel world in what should prove a great.

step forward in motor-car design. Continued on nezi Column) are unable to give any details.

duty.

but there is another important (Continued on next Columa)..

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passes through metres above sea level.

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