RELIABILITY TRIALS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14306, 18 March 1912, Page 7

RELIABILITY TRIALS.

SECOND DAY'S RUN.

OFFICIAHHESULTS. *

The> Canterbury Automobile Association's Reliability Trial was concluded on Saturday, and tho official results aro given below. The run was from Hnnnier back to Christehurch via Cheviot, a distance* of 162 miles. The roads traversed wore almost uniformly good, but there was a fair amount of hill work, including tho Greta Cutting between Waipara and Cheviot, which put a severe tost on the capabilities of tho competing cars. Thoro was a strong wind blowing throughout tho day, and many dolays woro caused through the presence of shcop on the roads. Some of tho oars had tho greatest difficulty In forcing their way through tho mobs, and ouo car, Mr Greon's 26 h.p. Minerva, lost second placo in tho private owner's class on account of tho observer and a passenger leaving tho car to separato tho sheep to enable tho car to got through. Tho run, however, was singularly free from troubles. Two or threo of the cars had minor mishaps, but the only serious breakdown was that of Kibblewhite and Co.'s 30 h.p. Overland. The car stopped about two miles from Scargill on tho Choviot side, and an examination of tho [rear box showed that a feather had stripped on tho driving shaft. As it was found that it would, tnko at least nn hour to repair th 6 damage, tho observer and passengers started to walk to Scargill. Tho mail waggon, however, camo along,, and conveyed the ex-motorists to tho Scargill railway station, where they caught the train for town. In tho meantime Mr S. Xapper, driving a Regal, took tho disabled Overland in tow, and brought it through to Christchurch, arriving at 7-15 p.m. A somewhat serious accident also befel a Sunbeam car, which was iicconv paiiying the competing cars, but was not competing itself. The car. broke an axle four and a half miles from Culverden, nnd was quite disabled for the time being. Tho E.M-F. car which, curiously enough, had suffered from a similar trouble on tho first day. of the trial, but which meanwhile had been fitted with a now axle, came up and towed tho Sunbeam to Culverdon, whore it was trucked for town.

The results of the trial; as declared last night-by the judge. Mr R. English, show that W. J. Scott's 20-li.p. Vaus-. hall gains the gold medal in tho trado class, and also tho first prison tho petrol consumption test, 'the best performance in tho way of petrol consumption -ot« put un by J. S. Hawkes .and Co.'s 12-h~p. TJnic taxi-cab, which made. 49-105 ton miles to the gallon, against 48.30 mndo by tho Vauxhall. Tho Unic, however, shed a passenger for a few seconds, on tho steep cutting leading from tho Greta riverbed, and although it achieved a non-stop run for tho whole of the two days' trial, yot it lost o mark for that reason, and was also disqualified in tho petrol consumption test. As it was, the taxi-cab, which had undergone no special preparation for the trial, put up r really retnnrkablo performance. . It traversed Bcrernl additional miles on the first day through missing tho official route and making a detour to get back again, petrol, of course, bwng. consumed all th© time, and it hod moro work to contend with the wind than tho low-bodied cars. Tho winner in tho private, owner's clnss was Mr X. 0. Gilchrist's 2G-h.p- Minerva, who also wins outright tho hundredguinoa silver Challenge Cup, presented some years ago by the Star Engineering Company of WnlvorhamptonTho officials results are as follows:— i>KIVATE OWNERS' CLASS. N. C. Gilchrist's 25 h.p. Minerva (N. C, Gilchrisi),* 1000, marTcs reliability, 47.16 ton rrilcaper gallon, Ist prize, gold medal, Star silver cup. H. Piper's 80 h.p. Cfulillac (H.'PipcT), 1000, 45.70, 2nd prize and gold tncdal. F. Hubbard's 30 b.p. CadiJac, 1000, 42.803, 3rd prize- and gold mcdjJ. A. Morten's 10.20 li.p. Welselcy (A. Kbrfen). 1000, 40.11. gold medal. K. O. Bison's 16 h.p. Minerva (K. O. Dixon), 1000. 89.6, gold medrd. F. W. JohriEon'e 20.25 h.p. Buick (F. W. Johnson), 1000, 89.4, gold medal, A. W. Lono'a ,30 h.p. CauJluo (A. TV. Lane), 1000. 38.97, gold medal. Capt McLean's 20-30 h.p. Cadillac (Capt. McLean), 1000, 37.'87, |;old medal. D. McMillan's 20, h.p. Overland (D. McMillan), 1000, 30-45, gold.modal. Mxts R. A. Green's 28.30 h.p. Minerva. (J. Driecol), 993, 47.14, gold medal. L. li. Hart's 32-22 h.p. Talbot (L. B. Hart). 935, 38.10. Missed gear. . J. N. Boag's 30 h.p. Cadillac (J. N. Boig), 935. 31.2. Misced gear. G. D. Macfarlano'a 40 h.p. Mitchell, 090, 3-1.13. Stopned engine atetiirt at Hanmar. W. E. Mills'* 33 h.p. Hudson. (W. E. Mills), 023. Stops due to grit in carburetter. Mxc Green's car lost second prize owing to the observe::' , and passenger getting out of car to drivo sheep to on able them to get through. : . TRADE CLASS. W. J. Scott's 20 h.p. Va-uxhall (W. J. Scctt), 1000 matks reliability, 46.80 ton mites per gallon petrol, gold medal end Ist pxizo for petrol consumption. Adamo, Ltd., 16 h.p. Minerva (J. Tench), 1000, 38.41, eiiver medal. J. S. Havvkes and Co.'a 12 h.p. .Unic (L. Montgomery), 030, 49.105, oronze medal. J. S. Hawkee and Co.'c 12 h.p. Dolaga (P. W. Sampfcn), 995. 42.205. F. Kebblewbito'e 25 h.p. Overland (M. H. Boyd), i>oo, 83.53. F. Kibblewhite's 11-20 h.p. Siddeloy-Deasy (W. Vaughan), 975, 32.G1. Auams, Ltd., &0 h.p. E.M.F. (J. Hemlel), broke back axlo. Withdrawn. F. Kibblewhito's 30 h.p. Overland (L. Young), broko down. Withdrawn. W. H. Scott and Co.'c 20 h.p. R«g*l (—. March), defective water circulation. Withdrawn. W. B. Scott and Co.'c 20 h.p. -Kegal (S. Nappor), delectivo water circulation. Withdrawn. .J. S. Hawkea and Co.'s 12 h.p. Uniclost let prize and petrol consumption prise owing Ao a p&s&cngoT alighting on the Greta Cutting.

Mr W, B. Scott states that the cause of the Withdrawal of both hie firm's cars was a mechanical dofect, for which his firm was responsible, iti putting in on both cars an extra water tank which, instead of causing a cir* dilation, acted as a syphon thereby emptying the radiator. The driver of car No. 14. after getting a few miles into tho country and on finding out what was tho matter withdrew the cat. The second "Regal," No. 18, was driven for 60 miles without a drop of water in its radiator, and on reaching Hanmer Springs, tho driver disconnected the now tank and this under tho conditions governing the trial, involved the withdrawal of tho car from the trial. Tho driver took tho car on to Cheviot and on coming home towed in a big car, which had broken down, and arrived in Christchttrch within tell minutes of tho other cars. Hβ desired it made clear that the > withdrawal of both his firm's care was not duo to any fault of tho ears but to an extra appliance put on them wluch caused a mechanical defect.