MOTOR BODY DESIGN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 173, 24 July 1928, Page 17

MOTOR BODY DESIGN.

NEW SMALL BRITISH CARS

INTEREST IN AMERICA. j ALL-WEATHER CAR GROWING IN FAVOUR. The amount of interest being taken in body design in America was manifest recently from the fact that nearly seven hundred engineers assembled to hear Mr. A. Brunn speak of the trend in regard to this aspect of motor production. There were two major ways of designing an automobile body, Mr. Brunn said. One was to lay out a beautiful exterior and then fit the seats inside, and the other to lay out the seating arrangement first and then design the outline. To his notion there could be no substitute for comfort. First of all bodies must be roomy, and greater comfort was unquestionably a matter to be given more thought by modern designers. "Why," he asked, "do you copy each other so slavishly'; There is still ample opportunity for the development of individuality in body design that will conform to the fundamentals of comfort and convenience, coupled with an attractive appearance." The old high-hung type of chassis has at least one advantage. It carried a body that gave ample head room and consequent free vision. Most of the present-day roofs, he said, were too low. They produced a feeling of being cramped and seriously interfered with the passengers' vision. A generally simpler body, freed from the present overplus of moulding, would produce a more lasting design, and one, he thought, that would grow in appeal to the owner. The smallest size possible for jjillars, consistent with safety and strength, was highly to be recommended. With proper structural material it was possible to make pillars as small as three-quarters of an inch. Mr. Bruun commended the neat and clean front design of the modern chassis, but emphasised that the rear portions were still unsightly because of pipes and rods that protruded and spoiled the general effect. Regarding seat*, the adjustable type, both front and rear, were making steady headway. "We must remember, however," said Mr. Brunn, "that it is impossible to cut off a part of the passenger, to make his height and size, conform to an arbitrarily established size and shape of seat. It is for us to provide seats that will be comfortable for the tall and short alike, and this can be arranged by a simple system of adjustment. It is perfectly possible to design seats of this type that can be adjusted while the car is in motion, thus giving the passenger and driver the comfort of change on long trips." After mentioning that safety glass will probably soon become standard on all sizes of car, he says the solid visor windshield is passing. He looks forward to the general adoption of a type of visor that can be adjusted to suit the driver's vision, and be manipulated from inside the car. The convertible, or all-weather car, is growing in favour, according to Mr. Brunn, not only in Europe, but also in America, and the ideal form is one that possesses flexibility' in the number of passengers fiiat can be carried. It should be possible to lower the top in loss than sixty seconds, and to raise it in less than half that time. Answering questions, Mr. Brunn gave it as hi< opinion that the fabric body is i!<11 likely to supersede the metal type, -inn- the introduction <>f modern finishes gives opportunity to make repairs in finish: something, he said, that was inipraetible in fabric bodies because of the difficulty in making a satisfactory match between old and new material. He stressed the matter of the shape of a seat. "We have been thinking too long that more softness means comfort." he .--aid. "It is a matter that depends much more on the conformation of the seat than on the yielding character of its upholstery.''

The field i>f British small cars, so long exclusively tilled by the popular Austin 7. is being invaded by at least two new models of British manufacturers. The Morris 7 i« already announced on the Home market, and the latest arrival is a small Clyno. Sir Herbert Austin, by whose genius the baby Austin was developed so successfully. told the

'"Daily Mail" that lie knew the Morris car was to be produced. But it is extremely doubtful whether either he or Mr. Vi". ]\. Morris had any idea of the existence of this other little car. The competition in the small car market means very cheap motoring indeed, and it is the most interesting development of recent vears.