ADELAIDE-MELBOURNE RECORD

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 101, 27 January 1928, Page 14

ADELAIDE-MELBOURNE RECORD

AVERAGE SPEED Ob' 19 M.P.il. Full

580 MILES.

Messrs. A. 11. Barnes and R. Yewen, of Sydney, lowered the Adelaide to Melbourne car record last week by -21 minutes. Leaving Adelaide early on Thursday morning they arrived in Melbourne Thursday afternoon, covering 560 mles in 11. hours 19 minutes, averaging slightly over 'l’.) ni.p.h. A remarkable performance. The prevotis Ade-laide-Melbourne record was also held bv Mr. Barnes.

Although no serious accident lias yet occurred" in connection with the Austialiatt inter-State road records, the Dunlop “Bulletin" remarks that the exceptionally fast speeds recently established in connection with the records between Sydney and Melbourne, alld Adelaide aiul Melbourne, has raised the question as to whether such speeds are low desirable or safe on the road, if a consensus <>f opinion was taken amongst the leading automobile traders on the subject, there is little doubCtliat anv further high speed demonstrations of this character would bo discountenanced. Whilst such high speed drives have a value from an engineering standpoint as a test of sustained efficiency, the risk of accident, not to the expert drivers, but to other users of the reads is becoming too imminent. When a speed of from 80 to 90 miles an hour has to be attained at times on unguarded public roads, it’s time a halt was called by all concerned; for sooner or later a bad smash is bound to occut. SPEED SUPREMACY Friendiv rivalry exists between nations as to which will hold the highest speed for motor-vehicles Great Britain holds the record of 201 miles per hour, established by Segrave. Next month . America hopes to beat Britain with a. triple-engined machine. Australians will have the opportunity of seeing Segrave’s great speed machine at the British Trade Exhibition, which opens in Melbourne on February 23. ihe machine weighs over two tons, and cost several thousands to build. On its return last vear from the United States of America, after Segrave broke the world’s record with it, over 200,000 people paid to see it during the few days it was on view in London.