Engine ‘less than s2sm’

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33452, 6 February 1974, Page 2

Engine ‘less than s2sm’

; (N.Z. Press Association) ■ < WELLINGTON, h February 5. p The Minister of i. Energy Resources (Mr! Freer) knows the price | paid to the Nelson engineer. Mr M. Vincent,; for his car engine, which is said to use water for fuel. But the Minister will not divulge the price. All he would say today was ■ that the figure conveyed toj him by Mr Vincent’s lawyer, was less than the sum of $25.6m which was mentioned last week. Mr Freer said Government scientists had offered to in-'

ispect Mr Vincent’s engine, and to make available Gov.ernment funds and facilities ifor development of it. But 'the Government men had ■ been unable to see the machine. Mr Vincent had then com-; 1 pleted a contract with inter-; jests he met recently in Aust-' I ralia. A week-end report said that Mr Vincent had sold his invention to the Melbourne-’ based research group, the Club of Rome. “I can only say that 1 hope his invention is successful,”; said Mr Freer. “AGREEMENT SIGNED” A Nelson accountant who; is acting as spokesman for Mr Vincent, said today that the Australian branch of the.

Club of Rome, a research; group backed by major finan-' ciers and particularly interested in anti-pollution machinery, had signed an agree-; ment to develop the motor if it proved successful. The accountant already; j held a copy of the agreement jsigned by a Mr Meffert, one, of the directors of the club.; and by the secretary. Other copies were held by Mr Vin;cent. a Nelson lawyer, and the Government. There was no doubt, said the spokesman, that the agreement was genuine. Even [if the invention was proven to be unworkable Mr Vincent would still receive $lOO,OOO. Hhe said. $lO,OOO RECEIVED , ( Cheques totalling $lO,OOO. were already held by the Reserve Bank on Mr Vincent’s behalf, and a further $40,000 was expected. Another $50,000 was to be paid on June 30. Since Mr Vincent’s first visit to Australia a few weeks ago, when he patented his invention and made the agreement with the Club of Rome, he has built another prototype at a Nelson engineering plant. Several of the staff at the works who saw the engine during construction were doubtful whether it would work. ! ENGINEERS DIVIDED The spokesman said that Mr Vincent’s first prototype had been tested secretly in Australia, and the engineers involved had been divided on ! whether the engine would jrun or could be successfully 'developed. Mr Vincent will spend a month in Australia on this trip to promote and demon[strate his water unit. If it ; can be successfully used, his agreement provides for the payment of $500,000 after the first thousand units have been built and slm a year annually for the next 25 years. the whole project now hinged on whether the unit ; worked effectively, and wheIjther it could be mass proijduced, said the Nelson spokesman.