GEARLESS CARS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 74, 24 September 1938, Page 30

GEARLESS CARS

SIMPLICITY OF OPERATION

THE SALERN! DEVELOPMENT

An hydraulic turbine transmission for use in motor-buses has been made available to one of the leading truck and bus manufacturing companies of U.S.A. The application of the turbo type of transmission to 125 buses will be followed closely by automotive engineers for if the turbo-converter proves an unqualified success on heavy passenger vehicles the application of similar types of transmission to. passenger cars may logically be expected to follow.

The announcement, following on publicity .given to the "Salerni" hydraulic-turbo converter for cars by Professor .Lea at the Empire Science Congress in England, seems to indicate that the time is coming when motorists will drive without gears. Professor Lea's announcement was connected with a demonstration in, reference to which he said:—

"What has been perfected is an apparatus for eliminating the gearbox and clutch. It is the work of Commendatore Salerni, an Italian who has lived in England for a great many years. He did me the honour of calling me in simply as consulting engineer,, and I was able to suggest one or two little points." , The man at the wheel has nothing to think of but steer the car and use his. right foot to accelerate, reducespeed, and brake. The only lever is one which puts the car into reverse^ A representative of the London "Daily Telegraph," who was given an opportunity of frying the car, wrote:— "'After starting: right-hand turns at a speed of eight miles an hour I w^s able to : accelerate to 30 before I was round the corner. I tried stopping at traffic lights—with the red and amber showing—and then starting off. Acceleration was so great that I was, at 30 before I realised I was over the crossihg. Unfortunately there; are no hills near here worth while, but I was assured by Professor Lea that a similar car fitted^ with the new power transmission, had "been stopped and restarted -on the Brooklands test hill^where the gradient is one in four, with :a net -load of 2cwt on board, without any difficulty.. I drove the car for nearly an hour, all the time trying to ; do things a motorist should not do with.the indention of stalling my engine, but found it impossible. Always I was away from rest and up to 30 miles an hour in about six seconds.; Eminent professors who waited all the1 afternoon to take their turn in driving the car expressed themselves as still mystified after their trips, but agreed that Commendatore Salerni had apparently achieved something which would simplify,, motoring.