OLYMPIA MOTOR EXHIBITION.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17607, 9 November 1922, Page 6

OLYMPIA MOTOR EXHIBITION.

large attendances recorded Large attendances continue to be Recorded at the Olympia Motor Exhibition in the King Edward Barracks, a huge crowd being present in the evening. To one unacquainted with the motor industry, the exhibition is an eye-opener, comprising, as it does, all sorts of motor-cars and motorcycles and push bicycles, as well as motor-lorries and accessories. The huge annexe which has been erected in Cashel street has added valuable space, with the result that there is far more room on the stands for the display of exhibits and also more room in the passages for the convenience of the public. Great care has been taken in tne lay-out of the Exhibition, and the sight from the balcony at the near end of the building resembles a fairyland, the gleaming cars in their decorated stands, showing up to great advantage- It is considered by travellers who have visited similar exhibitions abroad, that Olympia is exceeded only in Britain and America. They are convinced that it is quite the best of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere both as regards quality and size. The tea-rooms are well conducted and afford a delightful rest when one is desirous of such, and a pleasing proeramme of music is played by >V illyams's Olympia Orchestra. [Publisher bt Arrangement.] WOLSELEY AUTO-CARS. BRITAIN'S POST-WAR PRODUCTION . The outstanding feature of the Olymr.iT is the appearance once again British cars, and in this respec Bros. exhibit oi »oiseiey moctels is an . example of the manner in which Britain has set out to pio duce a car for colonial conditions, ihe Jr l»s a™, ponrts of superiority over the old,. Flom T , tl -f New Zealander's point of a car with a remarkable iugh-geai performance, taking undulating and even hilly country without any change of gear whatever. The new Wolseley is lighter in weight, has wonderful acceleration, and the lo and 20 h.p. models -track." In other words, the wheels run in the ordinary trafnc ruts on the road—they are standard gauge. The prospective customers must not allow himself to be confused regarding the rating of these cars. For instance, the "fifteen" model, which is described as 15 H.p., actually develops 40 h.p. on the bench, and the 10 and 20 types register a corresponding performance. The conservative English estimate of power does not give a true idea of the capacity of the engine, so purchasers, when making - the choice of a car, should be guided by the cylinder dimensions rather than by the stated power. Messrs Todd Bros, are certainly to be congratulated upon _ the all-round excellence of their exhibit, and the finish of tho cars on view. The "Wolseley Ten," a very useful type of four-seater, sells for £575. Specifications: Wheelbase Bft 3in, 4-cylinder motor, 65 m.m., 95 m.m.. with overhead camshaft and valves; detachable cylinder head; magneto ignition, electric lighting and starting; thermosyphon cooling; three speeds forward and reverse; cantilever front and rear spring suspension. The same excellent features are in the five-seater "Wolseley Fifteen," with a 4ft Bin track, four-cylinder motor, bore 80 m.m stroke 130 m.m. Price £960. The "Wolseley Twenty," with lift sin wheelbase, wide colonial tracking, four speeds forward and reverse, seveneeater, £1320. It is unfortunate that the newly announced 14 h.p. Wolseley tourer is not here for the Olympia. This new model is truly remarkable .value at" £725, marking the return of the British car to pre-war values, and with the addition of all the improvements consequent unon Wol§elev experience and advancement in aviation engines during the war. That "Wolseleys" have been foremost in the production of quality cars at reasonable prices is an established fact; but the post-war models are even far ahead of their predecessors, and their recent stupendous records at Brooklands, as well as their every day road performances, confirm that they are the finest value for money cars produced to-day: . Messrs Todd Bros, have opened an up-to-date garage in Gloucester street (opposite Theatre lloyal), where they are in a position to offer accommodation for cars, and carry a comprehensive range of tyres, oils, accessories, etc. They are specialising in "Wolseley" sen-ice.

SPEAKING OF POWER. There is probably no more popular sport extant than that of "speaking of power." Whenever two or more motorists foregather it is only a question of time until they get to comparing notes on automobile performance. The talk may start with a discussion (pf any of the many other factors that govern the choice of an automobile,

but inevitably it drifts around to a point where someone says: "Speaking of power. . . ." Which is perfectly logical. For, when all else is said, the real test of any car lies in what it will do—how it will behave when it noses into a long unbroken stretch of deep sand or when it is required to climb an especially difficult hill. Since the Model 43-A Four-cylinder Oldsmobile made its initial bow to the publip at the beginning of this year, almost every day has witnessed some new triumph. It has mastered hills that have never before been climbed in high gear. In competitive tests it has broken all records. In demonstrations before thousands of people it has calmly walked away with loads that have simply astounded observers. And in every-day use throughout the country it has won literally thousands of f-nds through downright working ability they have never seen equalled This is the car the Dominion Motors, Limited, have to offer on their Str>nd No. 14. They show Sedans, Tourers, and also the Roadster with the dickey seat, which cars can be supplied in any colour and with either wood or wire wheels. In passing we would like to mention that the Oldsmobile Qualitv Four put up the best performance of all heavv cars in the onen class in the recent Reliability Trials, and we would strongly urge readers to see this latest product of a factory that has been building cars for 25 years. q

CHAR-A-BANCS AND TRUCKS.

It is not everyone who wishes to buy a char-a-bano or a truck, but no one who is engaged in a passenger servioe or is a member of a public bodiy should fail to pay a visit to Newton Kin" Ltd.'s stand at the.Olympia Exhibition! This New Plymouth firm are the fa-tory representatives in New Zealand for the famous White trucks and- 'bures, which are built in sizes and types to suit every transportation need. They are exhibiting here a bcautifully-fmiihed 16-reater ckur-a-banc, the body of which has been built locally by Messrs Johnson and Smith. The White Company, who are the largest builders in the world, of

high-grade commercial vehicles, tu out nothing low-priced, but all *»ei output embodies tne cardinal principles of quality, dependability, efficiency, economy, and longevity —which means that they are money-savers in that t«o upkeep is small. They are better known in the North Island than in tho Son*«, and net fewer than twenty-nine of their 'buses are used in passenger .services, including the runs between Nelson nnd Bknheim. Nelson and West port, Nelson and Takaka, and Cromwell to Pembroke, while the one on exhibition is to be used in the Christchurcli-Hanmer service. Their dump trucks are in constant use by 35 public bodies, and many others are negotiating for them. ® ITALY'S MOTOR MASTERPIECE. We have heard it said that* no bad car ever came out of Italy, and it is certainly true that, for beauty of design, with clean straightforward layout and sound engineering, Italian designs lead the world. Foremoßt amongst the Italians is the famous S.P.A., 16-20 h.p. This chassis has an improved high efficiency four-cylinder engine, with a bore and stroke of 85 ni.m. x 120 m.m. The cylinders are a monoblock casting of exceptionally clean design, eliminating all outside water, inlet, and exhaust pipes, and the block is provided with a detachable head, with valve caps. "When removing this head it is not necessary to disturb the water hose, as a coupling is provided on the water pipe close to tho radiator The engine has forced lubrication through a hollow crankshaft, and has small tubes attached to the sides of the connecting rods to convey the oil from the big end bearings to the gudgeon pins. A high tension magneto is fatted, also C.A.V. lighting and starting. The cooling of the engine is by means of a very large radiator and a two-bladed wooden fan. 7Tie radiator cannot become warped, as it is attached to the frame by means of large ball joints. A gate change gear-box. giving four speeds forward and one reverse speed, is provided, also a multiple disc clutch. The engine and gear-box are bolted together, and form a. very neat unit power plant, which has only to be seen to be appreciated by those mechanically inclined. The back axle is of especial interest as it is .admittedly the best design of full floating back axle yet patented. It consists of two T-shaped steel pressings welded together, tnereby forming one whole casing, which is easily cleaned, and is very much stronger than the old type of built-up casing. Sankeysteel wheels, with Pirelli tyres, are fitted to all models. Messrs C. and W. Shiel, of Dunedin. are the sole New Zealand agents, and they have on their stand at the Show a magnificent coupe-cabriolette finished in blue, with trimmings to match. This body was built to order by Messrs Vandys, of London, and is exciting a large amount of interest, and is priced at the reasonable sum of £965. Demonstrations can be arranged by appointment at Messrs Shiel Bros.' stand at Olympia. 6