1934-03-20 — Page 2

Page

Awaiting The Car Buyers'

Reaction

Reading between the lines of American tucanica, motor jour

since nals trut have appeared

ne New York Show fast month, it is apparent that motor manu- facturers general in the US.A. are anxiously awaiting sings of the "reaction" of the car buying public to the highly unconven- tional designs introduced at the Show.

Inese unorthodox cars embody obvious efforts to go as far as possible in designing a stream- Uned car with engine in front, and they are so striking in ap- pearance that there is doubt as to whether they will click with

become enough people to trend."

American ex- presses it. "Which way will the

favour blow 1" winds, of writer entitles his musings

the point.

Ds one

2.

this

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A drawback

clearly.. that is apparent in some of these ultra- modern designs is the arrange- and shape of the ment, size,

As a rule there are windows. only two windows at each side, nelther of them as large as any of those of an orthodox saloon; one on either side is the rear triangular in shape with "the. apex pointing back, the top edge the sweep of: conforming with

and the roof

runs back as it down in a continuous curve from. the screen to the bottom end of the "tall."

To my eyes some of these new designs are positively ugly: I had Others almost written hideous. please my eye, but I do not feel Inclined to commend them for... practical utility. The appeal of both categories, it seems to me. will attach to those buyers who favour the "extravagant" in car outlines and appearance,

What proportion of the total number of buyers they form in U.S.A,,I have a means of jud- ging, but I should estimate that in

this country they constitute

10 per cent at the most. "I cer- tainly cannot visualise popular makes of British cars fashioned on these lines for 1935; and yet it is suggested in U.S.A. that, if the general idea gains favour with buyers

American of the cars that now embody it there will be & rush on the part of other makers to offer the same of even more "advanced" designs within the next few months.

While Motoring Within the past fortnight I have been asked the same ques-. than five fewer tion by different people-viz., "How can one keep one's feet warm while driving a car, at this time of year?"

no

I can sympathise with my cor- respondents when they describe"" the discomfort they experience: irom cold feet while motoring, for I am prone to suffer from this adiction myself. For that reason "I can believe those who tell me that much as they enjoy motoring on realise its advant- ages for business purposes, they positively dread a long run be- tween October and "April.

My correspondents detail the various expedients. they have tried. all of which, and others, I also have tested; but the in-" fallible cure or preventive re- Personally, mains undiscovered.

I have gained some relief by starting out and starting back with warm feet in loose-fitting shoes and snow boots over them. - Driving open cars in years gane oy I used for several win- ters a pair of electrically heated gloves and found them most effective. They were made of

cotton fabric with a very flexible heating element in thin insulat- ed wire running up and down each finger and thumb and tak- a "flex" ing current through from the sockets on the instru- ment board intended for plug- ging-in

inspection lamp." Ordinary unlined driving gloves Gver these fitted comfortably

bands special ones, and one's kept as "warm as toast" in any

weather.

an

Since giving up open cars I have not used these gloves, but Ι

have often wondered why electrically heated makers of clothing for aeroplane pilots. have not introduced something of the kind in the form of shoe's or socks--or shoe socks-suitable for motorists. So far as I can find out they do not make any- thing of the kind.

J.

1

Self-Selector Austin's Soon Those people within and with- out the motor industry who said or were told at the time of last year's motor shows that the Austin Hayes transmission was not a "production job," and would never be fitted to cars for delivery to the public. may be surprised at an item of news. I am authorised to publish. It is that this "self-selector" trans- mission, or automatic gearless gear-box as I prefer to calFit, Is definitely in production, arid that deliverles to the public of

Austin Sixteens and Eighteens..... fitted with it are likely to com- mence at the end of March or early in April...

I can say this not merely on Information received. but also because last week I saw a big batch in process of manufacture in the special "shop" that has been equipped for the purpose at the

Austin factory Birmingham.

near "

Another surprise for the sceptics mentioned above will be to hear that between 20 and 30 self-selector Austins have been

In the hands of Austin' distribu-- tors for various periods ranging up to three months or so. not only for demonstration purposes but also

distributors to enable and agents to become thoroughly familiar with the transmission hefore cars having it are pelivered to the public.

While at the Austin factory I saw also some of the latest ex- tensions and new tools and equipment that have been or are being prepared to cdpe with ever-increasing demand: the output of cars. I was informed, is still increasing from week to week and beating all previous records. Among other develot- ments now in progress are new chassis and engine-erecting tracks with constantly moving conveyors and a new "battery" of something Ilke electrical engine-test beds.

Causes of Breakdowns According to the analysis just issued by the B.A.C. relating to - the causes of breakdowns repor- ted last year under the club's "Get-You-Home" scheme, defec- tive carburation is one of the very, few faults that have shown a tendency to increase from year to year since 1928; but even this short-coming accounted last year for only 4.2 per cent. of the 'breakdowns.

more

Ignition details again caused trouble than any öther Item 120.2 per cent.), Rear axle shafts (13.8 per cent.), came next in this "black 1st," while cylin- der and piston faults (10 per cent.) were third.

It is stated by the R.A.S. that last year 11,983 cases of break-.

HONG KONG DAILY

down were dealt with under the scheme mentioned, which ... repre- sents an increase of approxi- mately 4 per cent, as compared with the figure for 1932; and yet the membership of the club in- creased by nearly 9 per cent. This suggests an increasing measure of reliability in modern cars, though

for the analysis 1933 is the first to indicate im- provement of this kind.

International Signals Antong its various activities the League of Nations considers the International aspect of road traf- fc and the permanent committee on this subject has recently - sued its recommendations as re- gurds road signals.

One of the most interesting

,

PRESS, TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1934.

MOTOR JOTTINGS

HIGHWAY MAPS FOR

CLUB MOTORISTS

Advices have been issued by the secretary of the Automobile Club of China that a new map of the highways and waterways of the Seven Provinces (in the neighbourhood of Shanghai) has been completed. His office ex- pects to deliver coples to Club members next week'

A specimen copy indicates the

projected road, brought to date at. January 1, 1934. In colours, the conditions of the roads s revealed as follows; surfaced and earth roads open' to traffic. as well as roads under construction, with brunch lines incorporated.

Another map of "Shanghai and. District "will be dispensed st the same time.

points arises out of the now wide-complete system. existing and spread use of "automatic trafic signals. Our three-colour system has been adopted in Germany and Italy and several other countries, but in France only a red signals is used, meaning stop... It is the one-colour system which is recommended for univer- sal use, however, and as a large of countries have ac- number cepted the findings presumably the one-colour system will in fus ture be used in place of the three- colour. Britain has not accepted the report apparently, but in view of the need for internation- al uniformity in all such matters there is need for careful const- deration of the claims of the two systems.

It may also be noted that hand signals being generally impracti cable for closed cars or lorries, It is considered that for these classes of vehicle at least me- chanical signals should be usea. A standard type of stop signal to indicate when the brake is in operation is also

recommended.

The report aims at the stand- jardisation of signals and signs in all countries, and the prohibi- tion is demanded of any boards or notices on the public highway might be confused, with the ap- proved signs. Altogether a very practical document. although there must always be some al- lowance made for varying con- ditions and existing practice in different countries.". Still, every attempt should 'be made, even lu Britain, which is

outwith the

main stream of international road traffic, to conform to any gener- ally accepted brinciples.

The Smoke. Nulsance

A deputation of the National- Smoke Abatement Society recent- ly visted the Ministry of: Tran- sport to urge the desirability of enforcing the use of smokeless fueis only on steam-driven rönd vehicles. This is a which the majority of road users. will be very pleased to support.

suggestion

Many people maintain that 'steamers should be prohibited on the road autogether on accounL of the nuisance and danger they so often create due to smoke and steam. With the growing use of the Diesel engine there is no rea- son why steam should be allowed in a way that is so often danger- ous, and if the present interest of the steam vehicle markers in the Diesel engine continues there will be no hardship in imposing. really, drastic regulations and en- "foreing them.

Meanwhile 2 smokeless fuel would effect a real improvement, but even that does not overcome the danger produced by clouds of steam, which often obscure the road and make meeting and over- taking equally risky.

The belching of smoke, sparks, cinders, and steam all over the road and everbody on it is ob jectionable as well as dangerous, yet no real effort is made to en- force any improvement. Vehicles of such crude type are not suit- able for modern conditions, and

In view of the splendid work which the Automobile Club is dọ- ing on behalf of motoring, an in- creasing membership could ap- preciate its efforts and be of great assistance in furthering its endeavours.

obviously deaf people should ne- ver hold a driving Licence. Cer- tainly it is desirable that drivers should be as physically efficient as possible, and a deaf driver is admittedly at some disadvantage. but defective hearing cannot be classed with defective sight as a handicap in driving.

It la by no means obvious that deafness should be a bar to driv- ing a motor vehicle any more than driving a horse or riding a bicycle. The only occasion on which the deaf man is at an ob- vious disadvantage is in the case of an unseen vehicle sounding its horn at a blind cross-road or a turning. The case of the over- taking vehicle is met by the rear mirror.

It is well known, however, that a deficiency such as deafness is generally accompanied by an in- creased efficiency of other senses, and the deaf driver will generally be found very alert and to possess something like intuition in many directions. He is more observant. and will detect a. vehicle on a cross-road by sight, when a man with good hearing 'might not even see it. Many motorists of skill and experience have been deaf and never concerned in any ac- cident due to their deficiency, so then inode will probably agree that it is by no means obvious that a deaf man should not be allowed to drive. Indeed, there are those who hold that horns are superfluous, and sight only should be used.-

Perhaps facts, and figures may be against the deaf driver, but sc- cident returns show that nearly four times the number of deaf" pedestrians were involved in fatal accidents as deaf drivers and deaf cyclists" together. Thus, it would not seem as if deafness was a very serious handicap. At the same time the case of the deaf driver is a matter for discussion, but it should be remembered that hearing is a sense which varies very much, and it is not so sim- ple to lay down a standard of hearing as it is a standard for "eye-sight..

Better Operating

there would be little sympathy Economy and Metered

for their owners if they were tax- ed and restricted out of existence.

The Deaf Driver

A writer on the psychology of driving stated the other day that

STEYR 18/45 h.p., SALOON 4/5 seater

Model 430-8 Cylinderă-bas'a high power weight ratio, giving excellent. acceleration and extraordinary fast hill climbing ability.

Springs: The reliable Steyr system of independently sprung rear wheels ensures continuous read tyre contact, practi-

cally eliminating rolling and skidding, with amazingly comfortable suspension,

Gearbox: Four speeds forward and reverse. Three speeda silent and synchro-mesh.

The third speed is nocelaration gear. The fourth'speed is maximuia and economy gear.

Brakes: Flaid preasure, operated on 4 wheels, system Lookhood Ate,

Lubrication: Fully centralized chassis lubrication Prosure, lubrication by gear wheel pump. Electrical Installation: Biomens-Bosch.

Import Agents:

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Lubrication

The exclusive cooling system employs & cross-flow radiator. "Fountain cooling" of the valves is achieved by water pumped directly from the radiator through a tube extending the en- tire length of the motor block. Metered holes, in the tube direct streams of cooled water against the water jackets surrounding the valves. Water jackets around the cylinder bores, extend' three-quar- ters of an inch below the bot- tom limit of piston head travel A centrifugal water pump provi- des 1,200 gallons per hour. "The rate of flow increase directly as the speed. Radiator circulation. is thermostically restricted until the motor reaches efficient oper- ating temperature, but formation of "hot spots" throughout the motor is prevented during the warmup period by circulation of the water in the block,...

The motor block of the Pontiac has purposely been made consi- derably longer than its cylinder displacement ordinarily would re- quire, to provide sufficient water jacketing for cooling under the most difficult conditions. · Added cooling efficiency has been gained by elevating the fan to a point where the air is drawn through the exact centre of the radiator core and then continues along the length of the cylinder head.

Metered flow full pressure lu- brication to all motor bearinas is continued with refinements. This system provides a regulated flow

z

Precautions Against

Burst Tyres

Inexperienced drivers will some- tumes express concern as to the risk of accident arising through the bursting of a tyre while a car Is being driven at a fair speed. "and ask what precautions they should take to avoid such a risk and how to act if, despite or in the absence of precautions, a tyre should burst in the circumstances mentioned. This point is one that obviously concerns all motor- ists, and, experience suggests the following remarks.

In the first place, a tyre should never be kept in use if it is suspected of, having a weak spot liable to burst at any time; a "shaky" tyre should be removed and thrown away without hesita- tion. A tyre in that condition can generally be identified by ex-. cessive wear of the tread, for, as a rule, if the tread is worn so that the next layer (the "breaker strip" can be seen, the cord foundation- the "fabric " that alone resists, interior pressure-- will have several weak spots, due possibly to the penetration of "water.

*

Rarely will a tyre burst with a tread in good condition, provided it has never been run seriously duder-inflated or suffered heavy local.concussion. What is known as a "concussion burst * may sooner or later follow an attempt to drive the car up a kerb or in- advertently running over a brick left on the road, or a big stone.

Running a tyre under-inflated,

of oil through the connecting rod crankshaft bearings Oil spray. from this flow bathes the cylinder walls. A feature of the oiling system is the elimination of oil. tubes. •Instead, pil is carried from the pump through a gallery Con- cast in the motor block. necting channels drilled through the block convey the oil to the bearings. A heavy duty pump circulates 225 gallons of oil per hour at a road speed of 60 m.p.h. Several improvements contri- bute toward better. operating economy. One is the higher com- pression ratio of 8.2 to 1 permit- ted by the new cylinder head. More important, is a new method of vacuum spark.

for deflated 'for more than a few yards after a puncture, causes the cords of the carcase to chafe one another excessively, with conse- quent weakness all round and on each side of the cover.

Treads should be examined carefully after each 2000 or 3000 miles to note whether they are cut at any point; If so, the cuts should be filled with special

· "stopping." \preferably by some cne with experience of the work, After 10,000 miles on. so all the tyres should be removed

and examined inside, again by some- body who will recognise any signs of weakness.

Opinions differ as to whether' the retreading and relining of well-used covers is worth while: experiences vary so extensively In this connection that one may be inclined to view, these proces- ses as gamble, with the odds may be in their favour. The writer has not had a tyre, of his retreaded or relined since 1920, when new tyre, were fear- fully expensive in comparison with to-day's prices.

מאים

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False And Dangerous Economy

As to what the driver should do If and when a tyre does burst, there is not much to be said. He will certainly have no time to recall elaborate advice, even if it could be given. What hap-, pens will be all over in a few seconds and its ill effect or the absence of harm

will depend'

+1

upon such things as the speed of the car, whether it is taking a corner or on a straight road, whether the road is slippery or not, and whether the driver has his attention focused normally upon driving the car or diverted by conversation or what not.

There is nothing he can do really, except to try to hold the car on its proper course by the steering and to stop as soon as possible without applying the brakes too forcibly, for the latter may pull the tyre of its rim and cause it to become entangled be- tween wheel and chassis.

8

That being so, it is obviously unwise to drive fast anywhere or tq corner carelessly when

A tyre in use may be "shaky.” burst tyre has falled to upset or even seriously divert a car times without number. If an accident follows a burst, it is usually be- cause the car was being driven too fast or carelessly before and when the burst occurred.

12,000

Tyres for cars of popular sizės cost at the most about 605 per cover, and the latter will run mes at least if fairly treated, sometimes nearer '20,000 miles. So it is foolish to attempt to gain an extra 1000 miles or so out of a weak cover; the utmoas saving will be a matter of a few shilling while the risk that will be run may involve life as well as property.

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