THE VICTORY SIX.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 119, 22 May 1928, Page 16

THE VICTORY SIX.

A NEW (JAK BY DUDUE BROS.

The justly popular four cylinder cai built by Dodge iiros. for the past l'oui teen years has now been eclipsed by a new car termed the "Victory bix." Two revolutionary principles of design have been adopted in the new six. J?'or the first time in the industry the chassis and body are a single unit. Usually the body and chassis are built separately, and the one mounted on the other. The new method permits of lower over-all height without sacrificing head room or road clearance. Consequently the car is long and low, making skidding and swaying positively negligible. The othei innovation is a double steel wall, of the same construction used on battleships. This makes for safety as if the outer wall should be penetrated, tests have proved that it is practically impossible to penetrate both walls. Each car body is composed of only eight major parts, from 300 to 400 fewer parts than in an ordinary body.

The auccesa of the new construction ia reflected in the car's performance. It haa an easy speed of sixty-five miles an hour, gives good petrol mileage at twenty-five wiles per gallon, and accelerates from five to twenty-five miles in eight seconds. The six-cylinder ■ motor is flexible and quiet beyond belief at all speeds. Its low-awung body has ample head room, wide seats and leg room. Grey mohair velvet upholstery adds to the car's appearance. Hydraulic brakes, and full-vision windshield with thin steel corner poats are further factors of safety.

Other items of the car's specifications include wood wheels, 29 by 5.00 balloon tyres, semi-elliptic rear springs, worm and sector steering gear, spiral bevel drive, single plate clutch,' and air cleaner. A complete set of accessories make lor the comfort of the driver, and the car is finished in an attractive twotone colour scheme. REVERSE FRONT TYRES AS ECONOMY MEASURE. WILL WEAR MORE EVENLY. How many mototists obtain the same amount of wear from both sides of their front tyres? On our city streets there may be seen cars with the front tyres worn more on the outside than on the inner. The majority of modern cars with four wheel brakes have the front wheels inclined slightly inwards at the bottom. There are various technical reasons f6r this point of design.

As a result the outer edge of the cover wears more rapidly than the inner. The remedy would appear to be obvious, but few drivers adopt it. It is only necessary, when the outer tread becomes worn, to reverse both the front tyres—not to change them over, be it noted, but just to slip each tyre off and reverse it so that the less worn tread is on the outside, and then replace it on the same wheel.

It ehould be pointed out that this advice is quite separate from the usual practice of changing the wheels about so that the back tyres, which carry the greater weight, do not wear out before the front ones. For good tyre wear the two methods outlined should be worked in conjunction. INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC SIGNS SUGGESTED. ' j The Permanent Committee on Road Traffic appointed -by the League of Nations has been at work on the international unification of the signs used for road traffic. Its conclusions are contained in a report on road signalling which has been sent by the secretarygeneral of the League to the various Governments for criticism and subsequent ratification. _ The League of Nations Committee either seems to be unaware of, or indifferent to, the fact that the United States recently adopted standardised signs on quite a different plan from its own. This American move began with the Highway Commissions in the Mississippi Valley States agreeing about four years back to make their road signs uniform, and the types of signs then adopted were a year or two later made national standard signs. The diamond-shaped danger sign prescribed in New Zealand's new motor regulations is adopted from the American sign. In America this shape of sign, however, is used solely as a cautionary indication relative to the nature of the toad immediately ahead. In New -Zealand it is to serve also as a speed Jtimlt sign.