1931-02-17 — Page 2

NOTES FROM EVERYWHERE.

MECHANICAL RESURRECTION.

Less than twenty miles from the heart of the capital, in the midat

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1931.

MOTOR NOTES.

From time to time a rear and| THE LIGHTER SIDE. TEN COUNTRIES ON assembly is taken at random from

She (sweet and dainty):

of the Londoner'a favourite benulý spute, are two cars built from scrap The engines belonged to two nero-the production line and placed planes, the chassis came from

the testing machine so that

прод

heaven knows where; but it is each of the rubber-tired wheels sort of a driver is he What

certain that some of the Bittings rests upon a motor shaft that is off centre. The rear end is weight- were never intended for the pur-ed down to approximate the weight pose to which they are put. To the of a loaded car or truck and the uninitiated these machines appear machine is put in motion:

From then on the testing machino to be two cars from one of those works automatically. Simulating pre-War Grand Prix that F. Gor-what would happen under actual don-Crosby loves to paint. To the driving conditions, it starts out slowly, whips up to a speed of 45 initiated they are two brutes, miles an hour, slows down, in. Precariously balanced on a ricket creases its speed again and then ly bucket seat with a gigantic stops, only to begin over. As the wheels are spun around, the off- round, red tank at his back, and centre motore cause them to bounce gripping a wooden steering wheel up and down an they would. on a in front of which the long red bon.. rough road thus giving, a

test to the shock absorbers as well net stretches for several feet, the

as to the rear end assembly, driver feels more like a puny mor- Meanwhile a blower sends a draft

tal in some robot-governed city than the supreme being controlling the whims of the ugly car.

Thousands of motorists pass with in a few feet of these two cars, Some even stop to refill their own ears' tanks, but very few give theac two sister hobby ears a, second glance or know that from the wreckage of a war-time air crash have arisen two surprisingly fast sports machines.

STIFF TEST FOR FORDS.

The ability of the rear end of the Ford car and truck to stand up under hard usage is constantly maintained by an ingenious testing device designed by Ford engineers and erected in the general assert- bly building at the Dearborn plant.

sevore

of cool air over the tires and axle housing so that the test run is made under conditions approximat ing as closely as possible, those that would be encountered on the road.

Every ranr end that is tested in this, way is operated for at least 10,000 miles, and frequently the test runs are for the equivalent of much greater distances.

Her (dainty and sweet): “Oh, the sort of idiot that requires two hands to steer."

BRITISH CAR.

VEHICLE TRAVELLING

INCOG.

The owner is aleo-O.C. docu-¡ R.A.Q. nurse has taken his papers ments. This is an important funu away. tion.

He carries an imposing bundle of papers which give Cosmop the magic right of way through the Customa barriers of the many countries wo are going to visit. But foreign travel by car is now wo highly organised that all the owner has to do is not to lose

The Royal Automobile Clubs acts a nurse to car owners arriving at the port.

Every year the number of motork? They had bought a car out of theists who venture abroad on a for-them. proceeds of a war and were not eign motor, four increates. See what you might call earringe folk. England first is a sound slogan, Also, she was more than comfort but there comes an occasion when ably obese.

we want to enlarge out motoring

An she heaved herself into the car, she looked round at her in active husband, “You are not so gallant as when you were a boy," she sneered.

“And you," retorted the hus band, “are not so buoyant as when you were a gal

"Mr. Jones, you asked me to let you off early yesterday to keep an appointment with the doctor, and when I left the office I saw you in

"Yes, sir. That lady is my

The parts are then diassembled a car with a lady. Will you please and checked to determine the explain??? amount of wear and distortion. The extremely delicate gauges with which this is accomplished can doctor." detect variations as fine as a tenth of a thousandth of an inch. Other instrumente determine the hard ness of the metal and still others measure angles with infinite pre- cision.

If these tests show the slightest deviation from the requirements laid down by the engineering staff, the cause is detected and correct- ed.

GOING HOME ON LEAVE ?

If so, The following will interest you?

EXAMPLE OF CAR ON THE DEFERRED PAYMENT SYSTEM

OVEK EIGHTEEN MONTHS

To new ear, BAY

› Deposit one quarter

Interest

£200. 0. 0. 50. 0. 0. £160. v. 9. 15. 7. 8. £165. 7. 6.

Balance of £165, 7. 6. to be paid in 18 monthly instalmenta

of £9, 8, 9.

To Deposit paid

14

5 instalments of £9. 3. 9.

£50.0.0. 45. 18. 9. £96. 18. 9.

FINAL, ADJUSTMENT

To re-purchase price-65% of £200.

Rebate on interest

Less 13 instalments still due

Cash banded to Purchaser

iso, c. 0.

6. 8. 11. £186, 8, 11, 119. 8. 9. 2. 17. 0. 9.

'ACTUAL COST OF MOTORING FOR SIX MONTHS

·To Deposit and five instalments paid

Thirteen instalments still duo

Toss re-purchase and rebate on interest

Cost of mutoring for six months

or 218, 3. 1. per month.

AJ... £95. 18. 9.

19. 8.0 £215. 7. 6. 180.8.11.

£ 78. 18. 7,

The above proposition applies to any make of car, new or second hand. We can also arrange to have a car and chauffeur to meat you at the docks, to take you and your luggage anywhere, more reasonably and more comfortably, than by rail.

All our cars both now and used are sold under a repurchase. guarantee.

LEAVE CABS, LTD,

7, Upper St. Martin's Fane, LONDON, W.C. 2.

WRITE FOR BOOKLET.

"I am looking forward to the time when I shall be allowed to make you the happiest of women."? "It's awfully nice of you, but I don't think my father would let you make me a present of a car."

The motorist was just about to start up his engine in the hotel courtyard. He had spent the night in the hostelry

**Would you like to have some views of the hotel, sir" enquired the obliging proprietor.

No, thanks," replied the motor ist. I have my own views of the hotel.".

The motorist should have been more careful as he careered through the village; but he was not totally to blame. The old lady who was knocked down did not exercise all the care she might in crossing" the rond. She was smothered with dust and dirt, and her clothes torn here and there; otherwise she had" not suffered much,

The local policeman was speedily on the scene. From all the wit- nesses, it appears," said the con- stable, “that you were going along as though you didn't know how to

drive."

That's the height of nonsense,' replied the motorist, I'm an ex perienced driver. I've been driving daily for two years.

"What of that exclaimed the outraged woman. 'I'm an ex- perienced pedestrian. I've been walking daily for sixty-one years.'

i.

The motor party were dining at the little roadside inn and it was excessive hunger, alone, that en abled them to swallow the poor food. The meat, especially, WES unpalatable." I say, waiter," ex clanned the leader of the party, "this meat, is not nice. It gives one the impression that it was not. properly killed."

Not properly killed," ejaculated the innkeeper; why, Gawd killed

Local Agents: JAMES H. BACKHOUSE, LTD., ta, Chater Road. It

HIRE A CAR TO DRIVE YOURSELF

WHEN ON LEAVE

Or if you require a car for more than 8 weeks, we will supply any make new or used, with guaranteed répurchase price.

Write for Tariff

L. F. DOVE, LTD.

Automobile Engineers,

CROYDON,

LONDON.

The motorist was drenched to the skin so he took refuge in a little cottage by the side of the ‹rond; It was not merely a passing shower for, as night wore on, it rained. harder than ever.

The cottager was a genial fellow and he urged the motorist to stay the night. My wife will be only too pleased for you to remain; won't you, Mary?' he exclaimed. Mary was equally effusive in her pleadings for the comforts of the bedraggled tourist. They fitted him out with a suit of the cottager's, and in time the motorist decided to retire, to bed.

As he ascended: the sumi.dark staircast in the cottager's old suit, the lady of the house was waiting at the top. Arrived on the upper

“smack across the face, I'll Jenro yer to ask strangers to stay in my house, she hissed; and, what's more, you can get his damned breakfast

horizon, more especially at this time of the year, when the sun ie on short time at home

For the benefit of the now grow- ing army of motoring explorers I was sent out to seek now highways in many lands, to describe motor ing conditions in divers countries, and to provide a faithful narrative of the joye, and sorrows, if there ba any, that may be encountered upon the way.

We have another function to per form.

The British motor-car has suf fered to some extent in foreins markets through persistent pro paganda to the effect that it is not fit for world conditions, .. People have been led to believe that our cars gee built for the Portsmouth road and not for frigid

Alpine pasace, that they are all right for a run to. Brighton, but useless in the burning heat of the desert. Well, we shall sea!

Travelling "Incog." . Let me introduce you to Cosmop, our car. It has to uphold the honour of the British motor in- dustry among a lot of alien motor-

Cara

7

going to be thrown on its behaviour The fierce light of publicity in

under conditions where British cars, are supposed to misbehave them-

elves

Cosmop is short for Cosmopolië. tan. This is not its real name. It is travelling incognito, for it is not yet on the market. But I can say. that Cormon is the type af car that many British manufacturers are now concentrating on with a view to capturing marketa abroad,

It has a six-cylinder engine and suflicient horse-power to suit the taster of those who say that our cars are not big enough to com- peta with rivals outside Great Britain. It will cost far less than most of the foreign can it is going to mix with during its period of probation,

I must also introduce you to the personnel of the expedition, be rause when touring the choice of companions is important

First, then, the owner. It in early yet to say how things will pan out. We have so far reached the port of Le Havre. The car, is being disembarked, and the owner

sipping a coffee and cognac, watching the other members of the

tasks. party carrying out their respectiva

Judging from our drive down to Southampton one of the owner's jobs is to drive when the roads ara goods, when it is not raining, and hefore that nasty period between sunset and complete darkness. . The rest of the parly drive at times exclusive of the above.

That is why the owner is sitting sipping his coffee and cognac. The

Ho will appear later with the documents duly signed, and all the owner will have to do is to tuck them away in his pocket until wo meet the next R.A.C. nurse at our next port. I hope there is another café. there, for his sake.

O.C. baggage asked him when an attaché caso ceasca to be one and becomes a trunk. He is at present busy roping the owner's attaché esse on to the luggage grid..

Spars Driver.

The ether member of the party. is responsible for chronicling events na they occur in a fair and aes curate manner, is also spare driver and official interpreter, a task of some difficulty and importance, as we are going to pass through about ten different countries.

The baggage is now stowed away, The owner has got his bundle of papers back. Some filteon 'odd porters have asked us if tho car Now we come to 0.0.baggage has been unloaded in a satisfactory and official map reader to the oxmanner. The interpreter haa ex- pedition. It was agreed when wo pressed bis satisfaction in the ap started that the luggage should be propriate number of Iranes. limited to ous auitcase and one at The sun is shining, the road is taché case per person. The owner good, so the owner is taking the has curious ideas of what con-wheel, and the Cosmop's bonnet i

sot towards the south. stitutes an attaché case.

don't leave it

to luck

IF YOU WANT A SOUND CAR

GET A

FIAT

GOEKE & CO.

AGENTS:

514 4 Cylinder 521C 6 Cylinder

CHINA BUILDING, 4TH FLOOR.

LANCIA GARAGE: 358, Hennessy Road. FIAT GARAGE: 850, Hennessy Road,

ALWAYS, IN FRONT"

SOCONY

GASOLINE plus MOTOR OIL

STANDARD OIL CO, OF