1932-01-23 — Page 10

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. MOTORING SUPPLEMENT.

TRUST A THornycroft With Your TRANSPORT

DEAL DIRECT.

THORNYCROFT

SIX-CYLINDERED

COACHES & OMNIBUSES

MOTOR

VEHICLES

Pioneer Manufacturers of Commercial Motor Vehicles

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. 56752.

TRUST A THORNYCROFT With Your Transport,

GEORGE

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1932.

BUYS A

CAR.

The Story of an Interesting Drive.

EORGE descended upon me inf "I suppose flood the

the cave bought a car.

he said.

"Oh, that's very nice, George," I said. "You enn take me out to golf on Saturdays now."

"Well, of course I can't drive very well yet," he said.

"No, of course," I said, "but if you want practice I'll come with you on Saturday."

"Sure you don't mind?" said) George.

Earburettor sought to fo "All the best people do, but I can't get car is in the at it while the garage."

"You could food it before you bring the car in," I suggested, but George pooh-poohed the iden, asauring me that the petrol would surely evaporate before morning

"Oh, I don't know," said George, "but all the people I know with "Not a bit." I said. "I'm not cars flood the carburettor until nervous. Anyway we can take it petrol trickies on to the ground. easy so that if wo do hit anything After that the engine starts quite we won't be completely smashed easily.” up."

"No, that's true," said George, without enthusiasm.

"Where do you keep it?" I asked. "We have a garage beside the house," said George, "but it's rather small, and the pathway is a bit narrow, but we'll get used to it in time."

BAD DRIVING.

car

power such as the German racing bir Jenatzy used, with its brakes, and colled spring clutch

not be slipped,

"British Drivers Best." that was either in or out and could

I

By S. F. Edge.

OFTEN wonder, when I sec motorists starting off from rest as if they were competing in a mile race, whether they realise the extra wear and tear they are thus putting upon transmission, and the effectivengas their engine and

with which they are shortening the

first

Cause and Effect,

It entertains me to speculate as to whether it was the nature and behaviour of those cars that evolved the type of driver, or was it that the driver of that day called for a car of the type he got? I am inclined to think that the intter was the real position, for engineers then ready and able to thore were brilliant Continental give the crack driver what he be

leved he wanted.

"What's that got to do with it?"fe of their tyres. Drivers of this I asked.

type are wont to start on

Our experience in this country more careful speed, after violently accelerating developed much their engine, then get in their driving. For instance, our tyres were most delicate; at less than second and do the same thing, a Bfty miles run at forty miles an repeating the procedure through hour they were inclined to fall, or the whole range of available goars. oven burst; they got so hot at that speed one could hardly handle This causes wheel spin and anthem without gloves when repairs fair wear on the tyres; consider-

were started. uble clutch slip is often resorted to as well, causing heat and wear in the clutch, and the gears are damaged by being slammed through. Such atrocities upon the car are not confined to the process of starting; the type of driver I have in view generally pulls up in a fairly long slide on his tyres with still more serious

over

"Pour some on to the ground out of your spare can," suggested, but George wha crouching the steering wheel, aurveying dials knowingly. Actually I ox- pect he was wondering what to do next, for he wound up the clock to give him time to decide which pedal would start. the works.

Making up his mind recklessly. At two o'clock on Saturday he jabbed at something with his arrived at "The Acucina" and foot, and a quantity of machinery found George sitting up in an arm went into action with loud whir- hair with the instruction book on rings and grindings. Apparently his knees: At irregular intervals deciding that this was insuffelent he stamped with his left fout.

for a really good start, he grabbed tweaking an imaginary accelerant something else with his hund, tor with his right.

"It's no use." he said at last, "I can't change down."

and immediately a cloud of smoke issued from the exhaust pipe, in- dienting even to my uninitiated

wear and tear on them.

ye that things were indeed hap-but I think a little

petting.

"You needn't worry about that," I said, as long as you can change; up. Whenever you want lo change; What did you do?" I shrieked down you simply stop and begin to George above the hum of the stance. at the bottom again, and work ear. your way up to the gear you want."

011~~~

over

"Oh. 1 forgot to switc}: "I hadn't thought of that," said Very tricky remembering all the George, bringhtening up consider-things at once; she ticks ably. "Let's have a try, I expect well, doesn't she?" roared George, I'll soon master all those double- "Yes," i bellowed. "What about

| bringing her out now?”

somethings."

That's the spirit. George." I said. "Forward to the fray."

*

45 we

a nine-inch slit."

#

remarked

This he did in excellent time, which indicated that he had been putting in a spot of practice.

So merely on account of tender- ness of the tyres the wise ones started quickly and smoothly, and when pulling up, came to a halt, as far as possible, without the brakes in action save for the last few yards.

To

through the experiences it is pro- bably difficult to realine adequately how the mechanical troubles of the early days forced designers to evolve gradually the luxurious and trouble-free metorcars of this of present time, Why, the last little six-cylinder model that I had did 20,000 miles on its une set of tyres, and they were then good enough to sell it with. A big saloon I have has done 15,000 miles and the tyres look good enough to repeat the performance.

those who have not gone

The Influence of the Stark,

Of course,

the derivation much of this sort of driving sheer primitive desire to show off, of it arises through watching the starts of in- races at Brooklands, for

noticeable It is

after R race meeting, or 1 hill Economical High-speed Engines elimb, how the ordinary motorist

It often makes me smile when tends to copy the racing styles of people criticise the modern engine the competitors, both in starting on the score that it runs too fast. and stopping: It is admittedly it is precisely this ability to turn round fast that makes it possible spectacular. but it is most expen-for the light but sturdy small car sive, both for the tyres and the mechanism.

part

of

of to-day to be put on the road in its thousands.

"All right," auid George, wig- gling his ears and peering into the In the early days of motoring We did not have them in the gloomy depths below the daah. it was most interesting to watch earlier years, not because we did "We have only two, inches to George wiggles his ears in mo- foreign drivers arrive at nu hoted not want them, but because they

menta of atress, so I wandered entrance A

who could In Jenatzy, spare at either side,"

not be built; there was down the

the carly path to allow him to in George

this neither the requisite machinery arrived at the think out the problem in peace. century was by far the fiercest nor the highly developed metals. garage door. "so I have to climb over one of the rear wings and After waiting a moment or two, as driver in races. It was his sen- Truly the present high speed motor

custom on arriving at is a real marvel, the Very apen the door at the driver's side. nothing whatsoever had happened, sational

load I can then insert myself through strolled up the path again, every control in a race to lack hinbility of it was scoffed at by

and had almost renched the wheels and slide along, his tyres ing engineers only a few years Backdoor when the car leapt shrieking in agony at the outrage age. However, we now have them, backwards at me. I saved myself inflicted on them; thin wicked

thanks to men like Sir William by sidestepping into the chrysan-style became the fashion with the Morris, who took his courage in themuma; with the same alarming typical Continental driver, and in both hands and gave us the mar- all-of-a-suddenncas. The car this noisy and alarming manner vellous Morris at such low costs stopped and George Jooked out he made a point of arriving at his that it places that perfect road with a slightly ruffled afr.

When

he resumed hin

his earringe of to-day within the easy "It's all a matter of practice, journey he felt that all eyes were reach of many, many thousands upon him, that it was incumbent, who only a very short time ago can see," he informed me

if he wished to maintain the high rarely, if ever, travelled beyond "Yes, I can see that," I said level of admiration as a driver their own immediate locality from "Do you think you've had sufficient that his arrival has earned, to one year's end to angther. to reach the roadway in safety?" start off with a violent rush, his back wheels spinning and leaving "I can find reverse casily now," samples of rubber on the highway. he continued. "There's a little catch arrangement on the guar lever which has to be pulled up, then you push the lever as far away from you as you can towards the ash tray, and there you are."

"Why John-just look how easily and quickly we have left the traffic behind. We have a clear road ahead.'

"Yes-the new Buick Straight 8-in-a-line is cer- tainly the most thrilling car I ever owned- and I've paid thousands of dollars more for higher priced cars, It's just like Buick to build a car like this."

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WE, WONG NEI OKUNG ROAD.

HAPPY VALLEY

hotel.

State Senate of North Carolina So it will be seen that there is is considering a bill which would nothing modern in the bad sort impose a "luxury tax" on all sales of driving 1 am drawing attention of automobilles." to: it is just a slavish repetition of what was done by those early motorists who strove to mimic the racing driver, only there is leas

excuse for it now.

"Good." I replied. "Now, in negotiating the gateway, should you be pressed for room, I suggest you take the wooden support on Those of us who belonged to the the left in preference to the stone other school, who nursed their Ipillar on the right. It will be lesa | cara,

spared the mechanism

and destructive and more easily re- unreasonable

uncalled-for placed."

shocks, and fondly called upon the tyres to perform such duties as they were designed for, gradually developed the quiet smooth run- aing British car as opposed to the, rough and boisterous demons of

"[*]} manage it easily," said George, and to prove it he shot straight backwards into the middle of the road, making a perfect exit and completely blocking the road.

•

"I'm getting the hang of it now," he said when I overtook him. "It's much simpler than it looks."

inci-whatever that means.”*

"Oh," said George, rather

resentfully, "I believe it has some- "Very much. I'm sure," I said, † thing to do with oil, it tells you for 1 had the impression that how much pressure you have on George had let go the wheel during the bearings." the launch. I didn't dwell on the point as the traffic block was In- creasing at an alarming rate and George's attention was already fully occupied.

After screaming along for about half a mile on bottom gear I sug- gested that we might try another gear, as this one was bound to be getting a bit tired.

"What bouringa?" I asked.

George vaguely, "things inside the "Oh, bearings, you know," abid

engine got to keep them cool er the engine will stop. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm going to try third gear."

Ile sat up tensely for a moment

or 30.

.

"Don't rush me," said George you reach the instruction book? "Where's third ?" he said. "Cun with a strained look. "I've got to it's on the back seat."

get the feel of the car firat."

"By all means," I said, "Just take your time."

pulled himself together, stamped Before I could reach it Goorge

vigorously, and gave the gear lever a powerful prod. There was another minor earthquake and the car shot forward. George was un- doubtedly a trifo shaken, but re

He suddenly seized the gear lover, however, and kicked at one of the pedals. There was a ter- rifying noise, and the car executed

Bort of mechanical hiccup. murked cheerily, "We're all set George sat back with a smile of now." content. "I've changed gear," he Bald.

Strangely enough we were, and we arrived home comparatively "Is that what it was? I thought intact. There was the trifling loss we had dropped the gearbox," of one wing and a quantity of replied. "Anway, let's hang on paint, but there was the compon for a while before you do it again," sating acquisition of two fowls. "We're doing twenty," sald part worn and bought at an in- George, after another mile or so. flated Agure, and one eat, Jottla-

soned, however, on route. Twenty what?" I asked, ⚫ Miles per hour, of course. The dial beside the clock says so, he replied.

That's not miles per hour," I said, "that's pounds per square

I phoned George the next day. "Well," I said, "are we playing golf to-day?"

"No, I'm afraid I can't," said Goorgo. "I'm teaching the wife to drive,”R. M. M,

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Telephona 542

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