MARKET DEMANDS

Evening Star, Issue 22087, 22 July 1935, Page 13

MARKET DEMANDS

NEW ZEALAND CONDITIONS In a paper delivered before the Birmingham Graduates Branch of the Automobile Engineers, Mr T. T. N. Coleridge deals exhaustively with motoring conditions in New Zealand, making comparison with Britain in the matter of roads, taxation, licensing, etc., picturing to his hearers similarities and differences and generally endeavouring to give an idea of just what New Zealand’s requirements are and tho influences that affect tho market here.

With regard to town and .suburban use of cars, he says: “ Practically any car is suitable except perhaps supersports cars. Light cars are doing very well on account of their low petrol consumption and running costs. Requirements are not much different from those in the corresponding class in Britain except that the horse power does not matter unless it increases the. petrol consumption. Ease of driving and a good top-gear performance are also popular.” Going on to cars for country use, he says:. “These are really the class that arc the cause of the periodiccomplaints from overseas owners. They are used on farms or homesteads for general purposes such as: (a) Frequent journeys to nearest town, often up to 30 or 40 miles away; (b) carrying people, goods., and often animals about the farm, and hence traversing fields and tracks; (c) fairly long trips to large neighbouring towns. What.an owner requires for a ear is: (a) Ease of driving, as neither he nor his family will have .the time or inclination to learn to drive well. (b) Good cruising speed, (c) Good suspension, for driving fast over moderate secondary roads,'rough fields, and tracks, or f° r accommodating* extremes of loads. (d) Standard track of 4ft din to 4ft Sin. (e) Good ground clearance. An excessive ground clearance is not so essential as that the lowest parts of the car should be strong enough to stand scrapping or digging into the ground. , (f) Good engine cooling, as long hills are frequently encountered, and, of long distances of oven level thick mud is very hot work, (g) An engine with plenty of power at low speed. This is partly for ease of driving, but is absolutely necessary because many steep hills .have surfaces so rough and such sharp corners that engine revs, cannot be kept up. (h) Good top-gear acceleration between about 15-40 m.p.h. This is usually concurrent with the previous requirements, but is necessary, as on 50 per cent, of all roads the greater frequency of corners makes such changes of speed a big factor for a good average. Very few drivers these days, and especially of this class, want to have to keep changing gear every half mile or so. (i) A good ground clearance between tyre and mudguard as room must be allowed for heavy loads, excessive axle movements, and tyre chains as well, (j) Reliability and care of maintenance, as the car seldom has skilled or even regular attention, while it is depended on and used for so many purposes that delays must be reduced to a minimum, (k) For the same reasons as above a good spares service is absolutely essential so that repairs can bo completed with the least possible delay.” Similarly he says of service cars: “ This is a type of motor coach unique tb partially-developed countries like New Zealand. They are really midway between cars and buses, accommodate 8-12 persons, and have high scheduled speeds—in View of the difficult roads traversed. They are usually large highpowered cars, with special bodies, and often have the chassis extended and slightly lower gear ratio fitted. The normal twpe of bus made cannot be used, as no bus produced has high enough power-weight ratio. This high ratio is necessary, as the steep hills are of sufficient length and frequency to make high speeds on hills essential for a good average speed. Good acceleration at low speeds is required, as explained before. “ While all high-powered British cars are expensive this makes them quite unsuitable, as most of the extra price goes in smoothness and general refinement that is quite unnecessary in ft service car. Thus we find that American cars are almost alone in this work. They have skilled attention between runs', so extra high quality is not required. They run not only on the mam highways, but also work on some of tho worst hackblock roads. Often the service car is almost the sole link with tho outside world that many remote homesteads have, and there the service car drivers have earned the reputation for reliability that H M. mails have over the whole world. For- the 1933-34 year there were 929 service cars licensed, and of these the first eight makes were American, comprising. 69 per cent. The remainder were unclassified and divided between 45 makes,”

Mr Coleridge also refers to cars used by commercial drivers and business nien. giving requirements much the same as those set out as for farmers’ use. “ Small cars are not popular for this class,” he concludes, “ as they aro uncomfortable for _ long journeys at good speeds over different roads.” Of luxury cars ho remarks that they belong to a very small class of user. Sports cars come under the same category. “ The number of luxury oars is kept down by the import duties accentuating any price difference already thei.-e. Spares and service are extremely, difficult to obtain owing to such cars being in such small numbers. There are very few roads which are sufficiently good for a super.-sports car to

have a better performance than a normal car with good acceleration and a good cruising speed.’ . He finds less difference between oncam and New Zealand in_ regard to the operation of heavy vehicles. Except tor weight limitations i' ey operate under conditions more' like English conditions than in the case of cars. 1 "hey are affected by road conditions as much through the regulations as they are directly.” He mentions that very light yaps are little used. In the country the motor car takes its place, and in towns the half-toil van would be preferred as the tax would be the same.