1929-05-29 — Page 3

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MOTOR NOTES.

THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1929.

| FROM TANGANYIKA

TO KIBONDO..

"THREE HUNDRED MOTORING IN INDIA. taken in the performance of British

THE

M.P.H."

NEW SPEED RECORDS.

"ORDER OF THE

Driving a Studebaker President ROAD."

Eight Roadster, C. L. Clark of the VALUE OF RACING IN INTER. Swiss Engineering Company, Bom-

NATIONAL AFFAIRS.

(British United Press.),

Racing enthusiasts at Daytona. Beach may yet ace cars tearing past them at the rate of 300 miles an hour but, in the opinion of Eng. land's Racing Earl," Lord Cat-

"It is extremely difficult to pre: diet exactly what speeds will be attained by automobiles in the

In view of the interest which is

light cars abroad, the following account culled from a letter received by The Standard Motor Co., Ltd.. Coventry, from Mr. Lumley, the owner of one of their cars resident Kibondo makes interesting read ing:-

"I purchased a second hand 11 bay, established a new speed record

h.p. Standard tar in Tabora, with between Bombay and Delhi," when the intention of driving it from on April 6 he arrived in Delhi, just Uvinza, on the Tanganyikan Cen 24 hours and 10 minutes after he tral Railway, to my station at Kibondo, an Administrative Post had been checked out at Bombay-140 miles to the North-West, close The distance between the two cities to the Belgian Congo border. The is 904 miles, making the average 1,000 miles at the time.

car had already completed over speed 37.4 miles per hour.

A Severe Test.

While the average speed main. tenham, it is doubtful that automo-tained during the run may not im- bile tyres of to-day will withstand presa the average motorist who is the wear and tear of greater speeds accustomed to mile-n-minute speed.

the new record received wide recog bu nay track.

nition in India, because there motorista are familiar with existing The course, over road conditions. which the new record was made, was through jungle, through axie-deep water and muud in rivers, and through sand storms, which at times- made vision impossible for more than 10 yards ahead. In addition to these adverse conditions, at times the rand was no more than the roughest of eart tracks.

future," said Lord Cottenham cur- ing a conversation with the United "Press correspondent. "The answer to a question of this sort depends on many factors not the least of which is the rapidly changing con-

(

A further idea of the severe con- ditions encountered on the run can

ditions which are being brought about from day to day by the dove-be gained from the fact that the lopment of science.

Four Conditions.

"Generally speaking, however, speed is dependent on four things. above all: (1) The design of the car; (2) the state of the track: (3) wes ther conditions wind velocity, etc.; and (4) luck.

best previous time over the same route was 2 hours and 31 minutes, an average of 31.0 miles per hour.

Ancther Fine Run.

The Bombay-Delhi record closely follows a record made by the same Studebaker Roadster on February 19, when it finished a 1,460-mile run Although the progress in the between Calcutta and Bombay in rutomobile industry makes any pre-41 hours and 30 minutes, which diction with regard to future speeds lowered the time of the previous re subject to great unreliability. I card by six hours.

The President Roadster which

would hazard a rough guess that, given good weather conditions, a established these two new records fine track like Daytona Beach, and in India is of the same family of Jack permitting. a speed as high models that made transportation as 300 miles an hour might be ob-history between July 21 and August tained in a car of appropriate de-8, 1992, by travelling 30,000 miles in -sign, But I doubt very much, for 28,328 consecutive minutes. Eleven some years at least, whether a world records were established by greater speed than that enn be ab- this great feat of endurance. tained.

I say this in the belief that, regardless of other factors hat might prevent such a speed from being exceeded, no tyre has yet been manufactured which would be likely to withstand the wear and tear of anything above three hun- dred miles an hour."

Practical Value of Racing, Asked what, in his opinion, was the practical value of motor racing, Lord Cottenham replied:

"Tremendous. If there bad never

THE MOTOR-CAR SUP- PLANTS THE CAMEL.

GOOD WORK BY FIAT CAR.

A camel track across the desert is not an ideal motoring road. It is usually full of ruts and frequently interrupted by dry water-courses clumps of stunted bushes, and is often thickly interspersed with been any motor racing, the auto stones and boulders in certain mobile industry would never have

sections. In other parts, soft reached its present stage of deve: lopment. I know there are people yielding sand offers a serious ob- who maintain that it is pure folly stacle to mechanical transport. to drive at high speeds on the grounds that it is a futile risk of life. This is quite wrong, True

Recently a model 590 standard Fist touring-car started out from. Port Sadan to reach Tokar. Many previou attempts at negotiating

there is a distinct element of danger this desert track by car had failed in automobile racing. But it is by utterly. Some had succeeded after no means a futile risk to take.

"When driving against each other a struggle lasting nine, ten, or even

at much high speeds as are attained in a race, drivers naturally reach

more hours.

The Fiat 520 completed this ex- optionally arduous journey in a little over four hours, and after a

returned

a certain pitch of excitement. In the course of the race, these drivers submit their car to a strain which brief halt at Tokar, could never be incurred in ordinary triumphantly to Port Sudan, arriv circumstances on the road. And it 19g in perfect mechanical condi

tion.

is thanks to the observations of these men and to those which the builders of the cars are able to make after the race, that the bulk of the world's motorists can drive in safety on the roads to-day," Valuable to International Relations.

Besides being valuable from the point of view that they facilitate progress in automobile construction, races, explained Lord Cottenham, have a certain "moral value.

"The Order of the Road."

It was the Earl's enthusiasm for what he calls Road Safety that led him to accept the chairmanship of the recently formed "Order of the Road."

We have purposely made it ex- tremely difficult to qualify for mem bership," explained Lord Cotter- ham. "Our organisation has already International contests," he said, been in existence for a year, and are, in my opinion, very beneficial

to date we have enrolled 1,200 mem- to international relations in that they help to create good feelingers, that is an average of 100 mem- They give rise to a healthy spirit

bersamanth."

Among other things, he explained, of rivalry which ultimately results applicants must prove to the satis in the boosting of the autonibile faction of the Excentive Committer: industries of the respective nations. (1) That they have been driving In short, I believe that the element for at least three years consecutive- of sport is the best possible thingly; (2) that during that time they for the maintenance of good feeling have covered at least 10,000 miles: throughout the world." In my (3) that they have never been in- opinion," he added, England has volved in an accident for which they two of the world's finest drivers: have been declared responsible. Segrave and K. Lee Guinness.

"Thus," explained Lord Cotten-

others of other nationalities.

But, of course, there are many ham," the badge which we loan to successful candidates as long as The Test of Nationality. their motoring record remains "Generally speaking I believe clean, is much coveted. Those who that if it were, possible to classify secore it can justly claim to be fine racing drivers by nationality, among England's safest and most Italy should really rank first for the courteous drivers. It is our, sincere number of splendid racers. On the hope and belief that eventually the whole it is largely a question of in- Order will be credited with having dividual character and ability, and substantially decreased the number as each nation has different charac- of motoring accidents in England."

Bosides the Earl of Cottenham teristics so have the racing drivers

who is its Chairman, the Executive "that they produce."

Lord Cottenham ranks among Committee of the Order of the Road England's greatest motoring author- consists of Sir Arthur Stanley, ities. He is the author of two Chairman of the British Red Cross. widely circulated books on motor- the brother of Lord Derby who was ing: Motoring To-day and To War Secretary during the world Motoring Without war; Lieut. Col. J. T. C. Moore- morrow" and Fears," The second book is parti- Brabazon, Member of Parliament and a well-known authority on motoring; cularly popular, because it is everinoter pocketmancyclopedia of Profesor AM Low aid to be the little tricks which it takes the England's greatest sound export and who ranks foremost among, this average motorist many years of ex perience to get acquainted with: country's young scientists; and A. (Continued on next Column), Leo Cuinness, the famous racer.

I reach

ed the Malagarusi Riyer, which is 102 ailes from Uvinza. The route lay through an Administrative Past called Kasulu, and from this point to the River the rond is very hilly. with, some steep gradients, varying from I in 8 to 1 in 12. The car did not fail on any of these although, is natural with so small a car, it experienced some difficulty at times. This was due principally to the roughness of the surface, the road being new.

At de Malagutasi, disaster was experienced. This river is wide, and deep. Too wide for a bridge, 60 yd. Consequently ears have to be taken across on a pontoon. The pontoos, when taking my car across, enak in mid-stream, as one of the dug-out canoes with which it was made At the spot sprang a bad "leak. where the pontoon sank the river is 30 ft. deep. My car lay in this river for 3 days before being salved. The salving of this car is a remark- alle instance of the ingenuity a resource of the African native.

OF GAS.

3

I had already given the car up Provincial Commissioner, however, 86 MILES ON 1 GALLON for lost as I did not wish any very kindly motored up to the river. native to go into the river owing to took out the magneto and brought Ait back with him Kigoma, where the danger from crocodiles. Muha diver, however, volunteervilles end to form whete to go down, His method was as (a. Lucas) is now sparking as well follows:-Along pole was cut (over as ever, in spite of its baptism.

When a week later I had cleaned out all the water from the engine, 30 ft.). This was used to locate

put in fresh oil and refitted the magnato, the engine ran again aa if nothing was wrong.

the car. When this was done, the pole was driven into the river bed and secured at its top extremity to a barge moored in mid-sream Four ropes were then cut from the back of certain trees. When these had been plaited, the diver took them down one by one and tied them on to the front axle, which was facing down stream, the car having turned round with the pontoon at the time of the accident. When the ropes had been secured, 40 natives on the bank pulled their hardest and the car came out of the water, I was not present at the time as my station is 35 miles away, and so could not give immediate attention to the draining out of the water from the sump and gear box. My

reached Bukoha, I have now which is a miles from Kibondo, making the total distance which the car ha travelled since leaving Uving 220 miles.

Incidentally this particular Stan dard car is the first to have ever made this journey. When one cou» siders that this route traverses hilly country at an average height of 4,800 ft., with several steep gradi. ents and long, mountain ranges, one feels hound to adrait that this is no mean fent of endurance for a car of such low horsepower and such light construction."

177SU WALTER CRITCHLOW, 170 has patented Vapor Moisture Gas Baver and Carbon Eliminator for all Autos and Engines that boats any over got out.

Old Fords raport as high as do miles on 1 gallon. New Forda 55.

Other make report amazing in- creases of to i mere

Mr. Caircuto offer to send 1 to introduce. He also wants COUNTY and STATE AGENCIES Everywhere to make 8250 to $1,000 Per Month.

Write him in English Today. W.. CRITOHLOW, 17780. Sr., WIZATON, J, U.S.A.

We hear that the Commonwealth Government has placed an order for. a number of the Morris-Commercial new 20/23 ewt, super-trucks for the use of the Post Office Department. From past experience they have found that," to buy British is to buy better."

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turn to right to operate lights.

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The new style Willys-Knight Six brings you the important advantage of "Finger-Tip Control"-undoubtedly the most notable advance in driving convenience since the self-starter. A single button, located in the centre of the steering wheel, controls all functions of starting the moter, operating the lights, and sounding the horn. This fundamental improvement does away with all troublesome foot fumbling for a starting button located on the toe-board, and also obviates a change from the comfortable driving position to reach a light switch on the dash. Aside from its convenience, "Finger-Tip Control" is also an important safety factor. You can keep your eyes on the road at all times, and you can keep your foot always on the brake when starting or re-starting on a hill.

Ask your nearest Willys-Overland dealer to arrange a demonstration of the new style Willys-Knight Six.

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FINE MOT

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