1932-12-06 — Page 2

Page

MOTOR NOTES FROM

BRITAIN

INEXPENSIVE SPORTS

MODELS

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1932.

SPARKS

FROM THE PLUGS

ed power" fenture in retained," · THE MOST POPULAR CAR with the result that the Aero Minx combines the sweet running of a touring car with the "pop" of i sports model.

A SURPRISING PERFORMER

The Signor Nine has already made a considerable name for "it-

TEN-H.P. CLABS LEADS BUT AUSTIN SEVEN SUPREME

Which is the most popular type. of cart The answer is provided

INTERESTING NEW CARS

CLEVER DESIGNS SEEN IN GREAT BRITAIN

THE LAST SHOW

A type of car which is a direct self in competitions and trials and. 13 the figures for registrations dur- / JOHN PRIOLEAU'S VIEWS ON

in Australia, set up a new lighting the past summer quarter (June, July, August), which 'reveal that for car record

the Brisban

the Tens, with a lead of six hua-i

shows to be forgotten very soon It is usually the fate of motor after the doors close on the last

MOTORING HINTS

TOOLS ON THE CAR

As a means of kooping together, for the time being, the tools that are included in the price of a new. er, the canvas and deather (1) voll in which they aro usually found by the car hayer, may be quite satisfactory-from the motor manu facturer's standpoint. But as a ro- ceptacle for carrying the essential

the owner-driver's standpoint; the tool required at any moment is dif- ficult to get at and replace.

Despatch Case Proferred.

In a recent hint of this serien 'it · Eren on those cars for 1033 that was advised that all tools carried have the tool locker so acerssible, on the car should be tested before just under the rear end of tho a newly acquired ear has been in highly inconvenient, and a despatched in this connection Another hint lengthened bonnet, the tool roll is it owner's possession many days. The jack was particularly mention- case, leather or fore, is recommend that experience dietates is that, no ed as preferable by far. It need i matter where the tools in general not be so large as specified above, and wheel brace should be accom be carried, the jack, jack handle, for all the small tools that accommodated where they are readily ac pany the car, and the spare nuts,

cessible if they should be wanted on bolt, etc., as well, will go easily time. A little ingenuity, perhaps a

a cold wet night-or at any other- into a case about 10in. long and great deal, may be required to en

a home" in the tool locker. The ing, and improvising is much better in the garage planning, experiment- latter will probably be large enough spent than ten minutea searching in for the big tool, jack, etc., with dark and rain for some missing item of the wheel-chauging equip- the case on top of all.

iment!

£174 to £250. This has inade treault only 45 minutes outside the new car registrations which the Saturday, night. Whatever advance tools it is far from the ideal from 8in, wide, while in turn will" And aure. that desirability. But an hour

development of that essentially British production, the a h.p. class, is the sports model wiling at home at prices ranging from

mendous strides during the last few years, especially among those people who require something a lit the different from the ordinary. but who are unwilling to pay a big price. Prior to the advent these interesting care, such en thusiasts wore compelled to look to the Continental manufactures in order to indulge their fancies, but the latest models from home fac tories are

very superior to the European light cars which had aj certain vogue some years ago.

A newcomer in this class is the Arro Minx, which is a sports no del based on the successful Hill-1 man Minx. Ta this a very low build has been achieved, and hond resistance has been minimised very ingeniously by dropping the front axle and the "chamis frame tehind the engine and underlinging the rear axle. Thus, the propeller shaft stands above the flooring and is encased in a tunnel, while the geurs are notunted by a remote, control and short lover.

In the main, the engine follows standard Minx practice, but the compression is rather higher and the induction system is of special design incorporating a down draught carburettor.. The "cushion-

Sydney run recently, beating the red ears, have displaced the 8 previous figure by of hours; a re-h.p. modals from the first place in heavy car record. The 1933 edition baby cars have held for so long. of the sports model, therefore, is It is interesting to note that bound to become very popular, these Tens almost three out of every particularly as it sells at well un- seven werd Austins. der £200

Nevertheless, the famous Anatin,

they have recorded, whatever novel- tics they have displayed, however fervidly and widely their attractions are discussed while the world and his wife are considering the choice. Nine-days wonder. On Monday it of their new ear, they remain a

The 972 de engine has a hot Saven is still by far the most popuis as if they had never bec spot manifold and twin carburec-lar individual model on the mar tors, and other special features arsket today, as of Bh.p. care regie- Rudge-Witworth wheels, with self-tered during the past summer, locking hubs, a low built body and in £ are Austin Sevens. special Brooklands instruments und revolution counter. The maxi- miun speed of this interesting lit- le car is in the neighbourhood f 70. m.p.k.

COMPLETE WITH JACKING

SYSTEM

The Southern Crom, whlek' is the aporis model in the latest Triumph range,is fitted with a 10 hp. eu- gine, otherwise the chassis is as the Super Nine. The 4-seater body posusies very sporting lines and is panelled in aluminium, with boards. louvred valances and no running

There is an 18 in, flexible steer- ing wheel and the instrument board includes a large racing type (Clontinued on next columni

BRITISH CARS IN NEW

ZEALAND

The September figures for new car registrations just to hand from Now Zealand reveal that British ears dominate this important mar- ket.

trations, and thus hold first place Austin cars again head the regis for the first nine months of 1939,

speedometer and revolution indie- tor. Like all the range of 1933 Triumphs this model is completely equipped and incorporates the cen. tracking system which the firm is the first to standardise,

MORRIS

SERVICE!

Fully-equipped and Expertly-controlled SERVICE STATIONS

in Hongkong, Kowloon and Canton.

Resident Factory Representative from the MORRIS Works,

England.

Qualified Motor Engineers, Mechanics and Demonstrators

at the Ice House Street Showrooms.

Cowleys

Majors

Minors

Isis

BUY YOUR MORRIS

YBOW!

All at

Greatly

Reduced

Prices.

Dodwell & Co., Ltd.

The show that closed on October shall be surprised if it does. So 28 may share this fate, though I

many really new things, so many really

useful improvemente ao much practical advance in design and construction have never before boon soon during any Nine Days. The new cars with some of which we have already become passing familiar, the now devices, the im- proved coachwork, all are so very inuch better and more memorable than their predecessors, that the label1033 soms likely to mean more in, say, six months time than has any other since the pioneer dinys.

The Practical Things.

has carried the tools of a far larger So, for 25 years past, the writer

number of successively owned cars,

from time to time owing to their and many additional tools bought

particularly useful character, in a leather despatch care, 14in, long, Din. wide, and 2t, deep. It enables all tools, except such things as the jack and pump, to be kept in "orderly disorder"; they are all together when they are wanted, easily picked out and put back in a moment. The case can be car- ried to the part or side of the car at which adjustments aro required, and put on the running board or the road, without fear of small or large tools falling out.

2 TH 00, 02

MICHELIN

FOR RELIABILITY AND DURABILITY

show must be remembered, and that rest for the driver's companion, For one special feature the luto As a rule the enso servca as a foot- is for the startlingly rapid way in propped up against the sloping which large number of important ramp under the scattle, though Telephone: accessories have been brought, if sometimes it lies on the rear floor. not to perfection, at least to a form From either location it can be lifted preutical enough to get them in- out without disturbing anyone on cluded in standard specifications. the car, unlike the tool-roll under a Luring sido. the obviously "re-seat, which necessitates some pas volutionary

self changing gear-senger, perhaps two, getting out of boxes, witty or dithout free-wheels, the car on, a wet night, maybe automatic latches, and synchro- before the fools can be reached. mesh gears (and I fancy that when the novelty of these has worn off thero will be as much argument

about their respective merits as about any how thing since motor- ing began), wa found, all of a sud- den, after months and years of in- decision, that such things as direc- tion-indicators, automatic chassia- and-spring lubrication, controllable spring-tension, the right and only sensible position for batteries and took (on the dash), the closed body which allows really easy entrance and exit, wear resisting cylinders, and a host of others had been tried, found practical, and adopted, as it were, overnight.

There was a good deal of pre- liminary clamour about some of the mare obvious improvements, but when a fifth or sixth visit had been paid to the show it became plain that although there were practically no "secrets" that had not been "revealed" long ago, there were numbers of får more interesting matters already quietly established. There are saloon cars, both British and foreign, whose doors are hing- ed fore and aft, using no pillars, uffording the maximum case of entry, apparently rattle-proof, The Triumph and the Lancia are not- able examples. We have waited ten years at least for that.' Start- ing the higher price classes, with the Daimler and Lanchester, and ending with the jittle Austins, we find batteries fitted where they are properly, protected and where their obvious presence every time the bonnet is opened must compel the lazy owner-driver to give them the vory simple attention they, riced to insure life and, efficiency.

The New Direction-Bignals,

I am still to bo convinced that a stoneguard permanently incor. porated in the shell of a radiator 18 going to prove an unmixed blods- ing. All except possibly those with a very big mesh must act as muffs, reducing the volume of direct natural cooling by a large percea- tago. Will those stone-guards (which are, after all, nothing but a picturesque vanity on any but a acing-car driven on roads where flying stones may be encountered) allow the water temperature to stay at a safe figure in mountain-climb- ing and heat waves It is not very important, because if they make for overheating they will be scrapped without ado. What is very import ant is the completely unexpected adoption of properly-designed dires- tion-signals, properly placed, in the far panel of the bodywork instead of en lovel with the front screen.

With all our painfully-acquired experience of the difficulty, in fog, of correctly judging distance, oven nsa foot space, it is incredible that we have had to wait until 1833 for signals that are put as cloro Repossible to the eyes of the fol -towing driver instead of ne "Lày na possible away from them.-John Prioleta in The Observer.

Datributors:

A. GOEKE & CO.

China Building, 4th Floor

DEPOT: FIAT Garage, 850, HeuNKSST RE. CENTRAL.

Telephone:

TRUST A THORNYCROFT WITH YOUR TRANSPORT

DEAL DIRECT

THORNYCROFT

SIX-CYLINDERED

COACHES & OMNIBUSES

MOTOR VEHICLES

Pioneer Manufacturers of Commercial Motor Vehleles

Full Range of Spares carried in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

4 or 6 Wheels

4 or 6 Cylinders

30 Cwt. to 10 Ton Loads

20 to 70 Passengers

JOHN I. THORNYCROFT & CO., LIMITED,

Pioneer Building, Nathan Road, Kowloon,

TEL. 66752.

TRUSTA THORNYCROFT WITH YOUR TRANSPORZ