1930-08-20 — Page 4

BRITISH "BABIES" FOR U.S.A.

ORDERS FOR 167,000

AUSTINS.

Two months ago a factory was established in Pittsburg, U.S.A., for the manufacture of a British baby motor-tar for the United States market.

The decision to build in that country was taken against the strong advice of all the leaders of the American motor-car industry.

It cannot be done," they said, "Baby motor-cars may be all right for Europe, but we do not want any kid cars "over here."

When the first" small motor-car was exhibited in New York it was regarded as a great joke.

Now comes this astonishing news.

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1930.

MOTOR NOTES

3,000 a Month,"

Sir Herbert Austin, who is res pousible for storming the United States fortress with his baby car. has received a cable from the new Pittsburg factory.

No fewer than 3,000 baby cars have been delivered to Americans in July, and the factory is turn- ing out 3,000 cars this month. Further orders are pouring in faster than the factory gan deal with them. Actual orders have reached the amazing figure of 187,000. The rush began as soon

the little mator-ears made their appearance on the road. The success of the little British motor-ear has literally staggered the United States industry

It has come at a time of deep trade depression. No motor-car of foreign design has ever before penetrated the American stronghold with any degree of success.

The

hoot in the past has more often been on the other foot.

According to despatches received at Birmingham, American manufac

when, on my last visit I managed ta interest a well-known United States Enancier. He was rather tickled with the little motor-car and manufacturing facilities.

"TWO-WAYS” ROADS A MOTOR-CAR THAT

ENGLISH WRITER'S SUGGESTION.

The final decision on the ques- tion of the speed limit is that it is to go, and go it will for

FLOATS.

STRANGE STORY FROM SCOTLAND.

The occupants of over a dozen motor-cars waiting to CTOSS the

But this is not wholly correct, says

Motor Cycling. The opinion of the insurance companies is not only that a machine is less stable when it has a rider on the pillion, but that the type of rider whe favours carrying a passenger on his solo machine is a worse risk than his neighbour who rides solo la the strict sense of the term. The all- important thing is that riders who have policies which do not cover pillion riding, or who have signed declared that they will never take a pillion rider and who have ever departed, or might ever depast... from this declaration would be very well advised to get in touch with their insurance companies in order to ascertain how they stand in this

turers are now tumbling over one eventually decided to arrange for private cars and motor-cycles whe ferry at Old Kilpatrick, naar Glas Proposal forms on which they have

another to be the first to bring out a baby motor-car of their own de- sign.

There is an atmosphere of romance about the story of this new motor-car invasion of America as told by Sir Herbert Austin.

A Pure Gamble." "For the past three years," he said, "I have visited the United States with a view to trying to arrange manufacturing facilities for the British baby motor-ear. Manu- facturers one after another turned me down.

"They regarded it as a toy and "the declared ennhatically that Americas public would not look at it

"I had almost given up the idea of ever getting into that country

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"The amusing part is that be knows nothing about motor-cara. All the people who did turned it down. Even then he regarded the proposition as a pure gamble. Ar- rangements were made for him to build the car onder licence from the Austin Motor Company.

"No one was more surprised than be at our iramediately success.

"It is being sold at 440 dollars, It is the or approximately 288 cheapest motor-car in the States, and its design is absolutely British throughout."

The British baby" has already conquered France and Germany. Latest figures show that 11,000 have already been sold in France, and 14,000 in, Germany.

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W. R. LOXLEY & CO.,

York Buildings.

the Road Trafie Bill becomes law- but not until then.

p

Row,

500

wore recently astonished to a queer looking vehicle push past them, enter the water and proceed to cross the Clyde and climb out on the opposite bank un.

Personally, writes "Contact" in The Motor, I have always been in favour of this reform, but I wish it had been finally decided at a time when there was less evidencoder its own power, -

According to The Motor Hoot, at dangerous driving than there is at present. The appalling lack of the inventor of this new type of road sense and the evidence of gross hydro-car, as it is known, has kept discourtesy is nowhere more ap before him the principle that it parent than in the tendency to three should be primarily a car and car. rying out every function of which lining.

a car should be capable, at the At times in.the day when the out- board traffic (or vice versa) pre-same time being able, when requir- dominates, the case of the unfortu. ed, to take the water for such pur- nate driver who has to face it is poseg as crossing rivers, lakes, etc. truly appalling. The driver mak. By its use many miles of road ing the third of the, approachingtravelling should be saved and in line is generally partly overlapping the areas of Scotland, where there the one attempting to pass the one are many lochs, this should be a on the inside. The unhappy driver boon to motorists. who is facing this oncoming sweep- ing mass is between the devil in

the total weight of the whole outfit the form of a kerb (if there be one) being about 15 evt. The engine and the deep sea represented by a fitted is of a lower power than it ditch (equally, if there be one) is possible to install, but with it the maximum hrid speed is 33 because the selfish individual overm.p.h, and the water speed 5.m.p.h. hanging the second car in the line invariably holds his position, as often as not entirely misjudging the space he is allowing to the car ap- proaching.

I am convinced that something drastic will have to be done in this matter, and in the making of new roads it will have to be considered whether a definite division of the roads should be made. My view is that it should be done.

I notice that something in this line has been achieved in a part of a new road which has been laid down recently between Mortlake and Richmond. Here there is a section of the road separated for up and down traffic and divided in the middle by a kerbed path.

Crowding up into a third line should be regarded as a distinctly dangerous practice and a form of selfish discourtesy to be punished severely. A relatively narrow road like the Kingston by-pass is render ed a positive nightmare by it.

GERMANY WINS IRISH

GRAND PRIX.

A German Mercedes car, driven by Herr Rudolph Carucciola, won the senior race for big cars in the Irish Grand Prix in, Phenix Park last month.

Caracciola travelled the 300 miles of the 4 miles.. course in 3hr. 28min. 21sec. at an average speed of 85.88 m.p.h.; Campari, driving an Italian Alfa Romeo, was second with an average speed of 78 m.p.h.; and Earl Howe (German Mercedes) third; with Capt. H R. S. Birkin (Bentley) fourth, and Capt. Mal. colm Campbell (German Mercedes) fifth.

"Graf Von Howe,"

While the win of Caracciola was popular with all Irishmen and British visitors alike, as he was a German driving a ustional German car, a section of British visitors unmistakably displayed their feel- ings about Campbell and Howe.

An Eart Howe came into his pit there came a shout from the grand- stand of "Graf von Howe!

Heroic Driver.

"The length of the body or hull

matter,

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When driven on land the propeller is cut of action and the change over is performed in the usual way by two dog clutches.

"Front-wheel drive combined with steering is employed, and the same wheels guide, when in the water, so that there is no necessity: for additional stern, rudders."

No details of the construction. have yet been divulged, but the hy dro-car is stated to be in no respect an experimental one, and it would appear that, such a unit could be put to good use in many places abroad.

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Before a comprehensive insurance. policy for a solo motorcycle which is to be used either regularly or occasionally for carrying a pillign rider can be obtained an additional 50 cent, on the normal solo pre mium has to be paid. The infer- ence which is to be drawn from this is that when a solo machine is carrying a pillion rider it is more' MODERN MOTOR SERVICE likely to have an accident than when the carrier is unoccupied.

A hero of the race was the British driver of the British Bentley, Capt. H. R. S, Birkin. In the first two lope two Bentleys had minor trou- bles, and Birkin had to play a lone hand against the three Mercedes. Owing to trouble with his oil supply": he came in four times. Carracciola thus got an unbeatable lead, though Birkin drove like ous possessed.

Twenty miles or less from the end began the harlequinade in the No. 2 Mercedes pit directing Earl Howe which maddened a section of British motorists. A man in the pit wearing a red jersey began to push out from the pit huge placard messages to Earl Home, such ne You are third," "Go out for Lit," and " Thumbs up." When Howa managed to average 87 m.p.h. this red figuro began jump- ing in ecstasy in full view of Birkin, who was a few yards away Way looking disconsolately at an pipe.

Good British Performance. The finest performance of any ces in the race was that of the trio of London-finde

→ Talknts. These rats, two driven by amateurs, ran from start to hajth without a stop of any kind at on average speed of approximately 72 m.p.h. They frequently were travel ling at 95 m.p.h. in beautiful silence, against the roar and whine of the Mercedes. Further, they were all standard stock car,

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