TOO BIG TO BE PLEASANT.

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 107, 6 May 1916, Page 12

TOO BIG TO BE PLEASANT.

"Kosmos," writing in The Motor, makes some sarcastic remarks at the peculiar British system which combines almost perfect traffic 'control in some respects •with an absence of restriction upon the class of motor vehicles and drivers. He points out that anyone who can "raise five shillings" can drive a car anywhere up to 300 horse-power. "Speaking of 300 h.p. care," lie says, "suggests a peculiar situation. As most motoriste are aware, the F.I.A.T. Co. has built at least two cars of this power, one of wliich was seen at Brooklands and the other unofficially broke the world's record at Ostend. This latter stands about sft 4in in height, shoots flames 6ft in length from its exhaust ports, ambles along at 50 when throttled down, and sprints up to 130 miles an hour. It was once driven through the streets of Turin on a Sunday, where the footpath and the roadway merge into a common causeway, shared by trams, motor-cars, mule carts and foot passengers alike— and the natives still remember 'the experience. The Russian prince who owns the car thought he could make use of it on Continental roads, but when he applied to the French authorities for a registration he discovered that all new cars have 'to undergo a technical examination witjh a view to public safety, and as the result of this examination the registration number was withheld. Doubtless it has not occurred to the prince that there is no legal obstacle to the placing of-his 300 h.p. runabout on English roads. Naturally, I hope, for the sake of the motor movement in general, that he will not do so. The legal situation appears to be that if any owner was mad enough to want to do so he could run the car up and down the Great North Road until lie grew tired of dodging police traps and paying fines. I believe, legally, he could put a one-armed or a legless driver behind the wheel Of course, we can dismiss this as a situation so absurd that it is never likely to be brought into existence."