1932-04-05 — Page 2

Page

TEN

YEARS HENCE

MOTOR CARS AND MOTORING

IN THE FUTURE.

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS TUESDAY APRIL

SPARKS

FROM THE PLUGS

U

NEW TYPES OF MOTOR ENGINES.

THE TURBINE AT LAST?

ine of the greatest advance ince the war in the design of motor on- gines was the self-changing gear. box of the Armstrong-Biddeley Com pany, Eitherto this has been trod only to fairly expensive cars, and to the man of moderatè means it has boon almost unknown. Now the makers of this remarkable gear-box

Buolution, not revolution, leg srom the road, unless by that time suggested by progress in the jug the tubes are out of date and the decade, wyz Frank Woollard, laie motorist at lag comes into his own director of Morria Enginta. with a real speedway underground Anyway, you have kindly asked me to give you an opinion as to the car we shall have; I believe this will be distinct in many ways from the type we drive to-day and pou-have fitted it to a 1932" Eponomy" sibly devoloped on the following lines:-

The last decade reveals consider.. able progress without revolutionary change. The improvements have all been matters of detail; but they make the car of 1992 much alder then its years. The same improv ing prooem will continue, and pro bably be accelerated; for the early": part of the last decade was devoted to providing the people with a newish futury--utility, whereas the next ten years will be largely im ployed in to put it bluntly, keep ing them seld."

Bodies--Saloon models will be bigger, of more uniform dimensions and streamline in construction. They will be lighter and possibly made

of

model costing only £262, and these who are able to buy this model will not wish to return to be old form of gear-changing. It reduces the offer and strain of motoring enor- mously, and makes control almost foolprog

Next to this gear-box; and possib-

ROADS AND MOTOR ANCIENT ARMOURED these cars have just been obtained Royce and from 1911-1814 most of

SALES.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN

CENTRAL AMERICA.

FACTS FOR CHINA MOTOR

TRADERS.

The following article from Com mared Repurta,. most interesting publication backed by the United States Government shows the effect of road construction in Mexico and Central America. It has a direct bearing, upon the very similar posi- ion in China, morite the attention of all engaged in the motor tinde

Cout? Enst.

flexible material, which will

Mexico and Central America, de be obtainable at choice in a wide variety of colours, and will onlyly of even greater importance, ispite the handicaps of comparativė In 1949 can still, foresee the require polishing to give the desired the turbine engine for motor vehicly small purchasing power and lack power unt as an internal combus. finish Bodies will be rattle-proof les, made by the Leyland Company, of adequate highways, have proved tion engine running on spirit, with and properly vendlated, luggage hd exhibited recently at the Motor good purchasers of American auto- a combination system modifed bysccommodated in lockers forming Transport Exhibition in London. motive equipment, more than doubl- Diegul infuences. Overhand valvar integral part; and, if radiators The engine is built into an omnibus,ing their registrations during the operated by overhead carnahefts are retained, I think they will slope which has already undergone the past five or six years. At the clone will, I believe, be in the majority. rearwards.

usual trials. In this new omnibus of 1925 the total number of pas- Engines.--In the engine of the fu- the only “controls operated by the menger cars, trucks, and buses was Engine eficiency will be greatly in- cresaid, accompanied by improve-turo I think here will be a ten-driver are two levers, one for acce- 48,110; on January 1, 1831. the dency towards more cylinders, and lernbing and another for putting the number bad rieem to 98,281, or sp- ments in smoothness and silenci.

Hardened oylinder liners or possibly we shall see a number of engine into direct drive. Gears, proximately by 11 per cent. equivalent methods of wear preten.changes in the existing forms of except for the reverso, are emplɗic- tion, coupled with advanced piston valve gears, particularly the poppoly eliminated. The turbine itself design, will ensure freedom from valve type. There will be improve does the work of low gears in an the necessity for garage atterien ents in carburation, and zo deubordinary motor car. This new en for 100,000 miles, and decarbonisa-experiments will be made as to thegins is as simple to control as a idend position of the engine in the tion will be a rare occurrence,

chassis frame. Cruising speeds in the neighbourhood of 80 in.ph, will be quite common and will be abso lutely anfe.

Fower Transmission, There will be a spread of the use of the self-changing epicyclic gear box and the fluid flywheel," or of the answers to the challenge that this excellent combination will call forth. I can only fores al terations to axles. if they are de manded by the introduction of in- dependent springing, about which I am hepoful but not prophetic.

Further Refinements. Springing-We shall doubtless have changes in this direction, and a number of ears will be construct

ed

wheels.

Mexico, of course, is incompar nbly & large maket than Central America. its operating automobiles numbering 50,800, including 59,300. cars, 16,500 trucks, and 4,800 buses, steam engine and has satisfactorily or 82 per cent of the total in the solved the problem of abolishing group Of the registrations, 72,847 gear-box transmissions. It has been are cars, which increased 87.8 per tested only in a heavy" type of cont, during the 5-year period; vehicle, but there is no reason to 19,787 are trucks, with an increase douby, thab,, with a little adaptation, of approximately 200 per cent, } it can be made to work any ordinand 6,858 are buses, 745 per cent. ary sized car.

more than in 1925. It is probable, however, that the classification of trucks and busta was more loose in that year than in 1830, many buses mental work."..

convaried into such" from truck The car in ten years' time will, I chassis, probably having been classi. media which will take the place of believe, have its brakes, geared as trucks in 1928. The standard existing types of gear boxes, huchange, and steering operated by classification at the present time personally think that a considerable amount of the charm of driving power from the engine. In the however, considers a bus to be any, a car would be lost if one only had time I believe development vehicle designed to transport more will be along the lines of free than, seven passengers, and it com- roeting, self-jacking, and comprehends, of course, buses converted plete solf-lubrication. There is every from truck chassis; in fact, there ponibility, too, that an internal are relatively few buses in these combustion turbine engine will be countries designed and imported as largely used ten years from now.much. The combined total of trucks Streamlining & Certainty. and bus increased during the period about 20 per cent, showing "a growing" need of commercial- (Continued on Page 3)

with independently sprung tensively in such advanced experi-

Gear Boxes-There may be sobie

a "pedal to push" in order

Braking will undoubtedly improve until the highest standard of to day becomes commonplace, and bake adjustments will be as rare

denking" should be. Towded state of the rands will demand high visibility and change gear, simpliãod controls, as well as im- Weight-Care will be considerab- proved acceleration and excellently fighter, das to changes in chassis araling Levers now protruding from the foor will vanish.

The last ten years have been pro life lit safety devices. This trend

frame design, better metals, and the possible use of a different material for the construction of bodies, Buch details a one-shot lubrication and

The exterior appearance of motor will continue, and by 1042 we day fourwheel jacks will, of course, be cars will show very marked changes abo vehicles that are virtually col-standard equipment by the end of fin a year or two; complete stream- lision-proof.

the decade.

fining must come, because it is Externally, cars will be much.

Toads.-I think there will be ex- undoubtedly the right thing to do: simplified and show more unity in design; the streamlining ideal willperiments to illuminate some of our The motor car of to-day is really have much to do with this. Ultimain roads and hus help to min-made very inefficient because of its mately it may be possible to have rise the danger of datrie, and fog. body, design. It is rather peculiar the car cleaned by passage through

Radio Car is predicted by that we should accept the stream-

a set of revolving brushes and water

to go.

Streamlining may cause the power

sprays. This is another way of. T. Barrow, of the Rover Co., but lining of aeroplanes and sub saying that all excrescences, pro- tuberances, and pockets will have not in the neat ten years. Stream-marines, and yet object to the lining and rear engine position streamlining of motor cara. Nature developments of the immediate has streamlined ash and fowl for plant. retire to the rear. The future.

efficiency's sake; sooner or later, the rear engine position is, I believe, I believe the ultimate motor car

more logical and more likely do will be known as the radio car. By motor car must follow along these velopment than front wheel drive; radio car I mean a road machine lines. In order to facilitati stream but even if the engine take a book ('deriving its cipotrio power from the seat, it is more than possible will air to rotate its electric motors and living the augino will ultimately bo atill remain within the wheelusse.thur propelit and its passengers located in the rear of the car. However, it capnot be denied that in silence along the roads of the

Special main arterial made of there is much, to be anid for the world.... prosant layout, which arrived by To-day we have huge broadcast great width for the exclusive u86 evolution, and has, so far, beening stations sending out tiny of motor transportation will de- by merit. It is unlikely that electric currants to be picked up by volop rapidly as soon as world there. Will be a completo change in radio valves and intensifed suffi engine position within ton years ciently to operate loud speakers, economic conditions become favour unless the advantages are economic- It does not require a very great able. I believe that the roads ally as well as technically sound. stretol of imagination to visualise will be "constructed of cast-iron

Competition, in spite of elimina- radio motor car operating on tion by absorption, failure, and similar lines I believe such a blocks set in a concrete foundations rationalisation, will still be puffici-motor car will have affixed to it such roads will be brilliantly illu ently keen to make the next decade an electric recording meter which minated at night and they will be ne interesting to the reader of The will register the amount of current Autocar as the last,

consumed, and payment for this divided into sections, allowing very Gayne Knowles, head of the current will be made to the Govern high speeds in the centre. section Hoteles Company fordi amant or whoever happens to own and slower speeds, approaching the new body material and illuminat, the electric power broadcasting kerb e ronde, Craining speeds of 80 stations. m.p.k. in perfect safety.

Great efficiency will be obtained from the engine of the future by

the discovery of some material for

the manufacture of the sylinders and pistons which will offer very

Such a car, I believe, will have One could write much on the posits brakes and steering gear opornt sibilities of motor car constructions electrically, Development along in 1942, and, whilst I should not these lines will af necessity be slow, like so he thought a prophet I am because the motor car industry high resistance to the conductivity Ace at all sure that in ten years de the predang Hotard of heat: Such material will obvite time we shall not be travelling at in all probability for a year or two the wastage of a tremendous such a speed that there will be to come will not have suficient amount of hest units and, in great danger of being burnt It money available to invest very excidentally, will very materially re-

"duce the cost of motoring, we test that will certainly be a work of in toontinued winezi column.)

CARS.

WAR VETERANS STILL IN USE:

Armoured cars which have re cently been in action on the North West Frontier, in India are a re markable proof of the quality of British engineering. Particulars of

through the army authorities at them were in Mesopotamia. Dur Sandu.

ing the War, they all saw service

in various ways and in 1990 they

The car-fifteen of them-have been undergoing some extremely were sent to India for use as aim- etrenuous worit on the exacting hilled our of the Frontier for five ronds of North West India, It in years where they ran at least 8,000 surprising, therefore, to learn that each of the cars has covered alto: iniles per year. It is estimated that,

ear

their vintage ranges from 1000-1914 gether we over 80,000 miles. A and that they have been in continu-sixteenth which began its career as an armoured car with the us use since then..

others is now in use as an instrão- The

were built by Rolla- tional chassis. cara

MOTORDOM PRESENTS

For Service:

FIAT GARAGE: 950, Hennessy Road.

TEL. 24821,

THE NEW 1932

21c cylinder

22c

FIAT'S

6 cylinder

It's a splendid car for the money as you'll find on the road-a car to be proud of. Built on lithe, graceful lines with a motor that bas "guts" its a wonderful buy at the price.

PRICED FROM $2,850.00

AGENTS:

A. GOEKE & CO.

SPARE PART DEPARTMENT:: CHINA BUILDING.

TELEPHONE 222217

Showroom

FIAT GARAGE: 960, Hennessy Road. TAL. -24821:

THE FINISH THAT LASTS AS LONG AS

THE CAR.

1760

all well

turned-out

170 Years ago it had to be Berger Paints for Carriages SPECIFY

Berger

PROXCELIN

1938

Today

Berger

Cellulose (Proxcelin) "Paints" for motor cars,

"THE BRITISH CELLULOSE finish

for your car.

Berger Product

LOXLEY

particulars and color

TD.