THREE-DAY ECONOMY RUN

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31088, 17 June 1966, Page 12

THREE-DAY ECONOMY RUN

'THE best over-all fuel consumption figure in the three-day economy run held recently by the Ellesmere Motor Club was 51.302 miles a gallon, recorded by a Morris Cooper driven by G. Quigley. This car won the up to 1000 c.c. class. The 1001 to 1400 c.c. class was won by P. Gray (Triumph Herald) with 48.863 m.p.g., the 1401 to 2000 c.c. class by T. Pratt (Ford Cortina) with 42.122 m.p.g. and the over 2000 c.c. class by R. Bray - (Wolseley 6/99) with 29.187 m.p.g. The three-day run was sponsored by Mobil Oil (New Zealand) Ltd., and took the 22 competitors through the Haast Pass to Christchurch. On the first day the cars started at Southbridge and travelled to Wanaka, on the second they travelled to’ Hokitika, and on the third they returned to Christchurch through the Lewis Pass.

The club had previously held one-day runs, but is the first in New Zealand to organise a full-scale event such as the Haast run. Each car carried a crew of two and an independent observer. Four official cars travelling with the run kept in touch by two-

way radio. Any breach of the code or of the supplementary regulations for the event meant penalty points. Deviation from official time also meant penalties. The time schedules forced competitors to drive near the legal speed limit.

The competitors travelled 790 miles. Each night the cars, which had been scrutineered before the event were impounded. Several had punctures, and all met some fuel-consuming difficulties as heavy traffic, logging trucks, slow buses, and rough and hilly road.

At the end of the run prizes were presented by the South Island manager of the sponsoring firm (Mr R. K. Cleland).

Still Unbelted “On a trip from Christchurch to Amberley I found that of 147 cars passed, only 11 had seat belts in use. Some may have had lap straps only. In many cars belts were dangling unused, and many others were such recent models that they must have had belts fitted when bought.” Thus writes a reader. Mr N. E. Sinclair. If you have seat belts in your car. it is only common sense to use them. If you have not got them, you should get them fitted. Buckle Up Recently it was pointed out that a person killed in a North Island accident would almost certainly have been saved by a seat belt—but he was not wearing the belt fitted in his car. There is no doubt that seat belts save lives. Nor is there any doubt that any driver can be in-