AMERICAN DRIVER’S BAD FORTUNE

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22804, 1 September 1939, Page 6

AMERICAN DRIVER’S BAD FORTUNE

The veteran American speed driver, Ab. Jenkins, who has a remarkable string of world’s long-distance motorcar records to his credit, has had njn unenviable experience in his recent attempts to better his records. Jenkins, who hails from Salt Lake City (Utah), about 150 miles from the Bonneville Sal£ Flats, recently set out in his Mormon Meteor HI in an endeavour to establish better figures than his own record of 3774 miles 778 yards (157.27 miles an hour) in 24 hours, achieved In 1937, At his first effort his machine caught fire and he narrowly escaped incineration. He was severely burned before he was rescued from the covered-ln cockpit of his machine, and had to be rushed to Salt Lake City for medical attention. Undismayed and still bandaged, Jenkins essayed a further attempt on all long-distance records up to 24 hours. All went well until 14 hours had elapsed, when a leaky gasket in the exhaust system the cockpit with deadly carbon-monoxide fumes. Jenkins was gassed and had to be lilted from the machine. Thus ended his second attempt, hut not before this fine 48-year-old American driver had notched several new world’s records. He improved his own 1000 miles figures by covering the distance in shr Slmin, averaging 170.76 miles an hour. In six hours Jenkins travelled 1025 miles (170.85 miles an hour), 16 miles further than his 1937 record. In 12 hours, 2027 miles were covered, the average speed, including stops for fuel replenishment, etc., being 168.08 miles an hour. This is a really astounding performance, being 62i miles further than the previous best, which stood to the credit of the British driver, Captain George Eyston (500 horse-power Speed of the Wind—Dunlop), who recorded 1964 miles 350 yards on the same speedwqyy in 1937. Jenkins’s latest machine has a 12-cylinder 1200 horsepower Curtiss aeroplane engine and weighs about three tons. RECORD PRODUCTION FIGURES ACHIEVEMENT OP MORRIS MOTORS, LIMITED The directors of Morris Motors, Ltd., England, announce that for the six months January 1 to June 30, 1939. nearly 60,000 Morris models were delivered to distributors . and dealers throughout Great Britain alone; a figure which constitutes a record for the company, and which is believed to be a record for the British motor industry. During the first quarter of the year, January to March, more than 31,000 models were delivered, and there is little doubt that the figure of 60,000 cars for the six months would have been exceeded except for the fact that the factory had been closed twice during the six. months for the usual Easter and Whitsun holidays. It is interesting to note in connexion with this record output figure that, in order to achieve it' one complete car has;lelt the:factory, on an average, u jvejjr minute of each working day ,dur'jJW’thplast six months.