MOTORING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 17 December 1927, Page 15

MOTORING

NEW WONDER CAR. 253 MILES PER HOUR. _M. CV>atalen, the designer or .Major Segrave’s mwil’liolding thousand horse-power ear, Juus <ompleleit plans of the construction of a Sunbeam v.'ilii two engines, probably oi (JtJUO horsepower each. The car will be capable of doing 2o() miles an hour, eclipsing by thirty mi.es the estimated speed of the c-raca American car, which will be ready in December, and which will be challenged in the United States by Lee Guinness, a foremost speedster. J.n order to reduce the wind resistance the lines of the Schneider Cup winning plane have been closely studied, and all parts of the car, including the springs, brakes and wheels, will be enclosed in a pear-shaped body. A steam-cooling system will replace the radiator. The synchronised engines will be side by side in the front of the chassis. Propeller shaft transmission has been substituted for chains. The front axle will be extraordinarily long, placing the wheels as far apart as possible, says the ’‘Daily News’’ (London). The back axle will be very short, bringing the driving wheels close together. The American machine, a Stutz, has a power unit of, loughly 30 horsepower. This type lias done 17S miles an hour on a sand track. The hotly is teing scientifically built in a Government laboratory. There is no radiator, and the car will be shaped like a raindrop, with a bulbous front and a pointed tear, which is the most perfect known shape to counteract wind resistance.

THE SLOW DRIVER. A RIGHT TO 'LOITER. “Sometimes a potterer’’ writes to “The .Motor’’ championing the cause ot the slow driver against motorists at Home who have been trying to obtain a restriction on the presence of such drivers on the main roads. There is a movement to obtain a “minimum limit. ’ ’ The letter characterises the proposal as ridiculous, and proceeds: “1 have had many years’ motoring experience, and previously over 25 years’ cycling, and can go my 40 or 50 ln.p.h. with the best when 1 want to; but the point it, one goes out with different objects in view at various times. Of course, if one intends to go a long journey one wants to keep going, but if a motorist goes out for an hour or so on a summer’s evening with no definite object beyond fresh air, I maintain he is quite entitled to ‘potter’ along at any’ speed he likes, provided that he keeps well in to the near side of the road—which is, of course, the crux of the whole matter. The way in which the majority of motorists of all sorts fail to keep in is one of the greatest evils of the road to. day, and causes many accidents. After lull, a ‘pottoring' motorist is causing no more delay or danger than a horse and cart or other slow-moving vehicle. “To suggest that everyone who happens to be ‘pottering’ is doing so from anxious fear and nervousness is, as I have said before, ridiculous. .Many motorists go out with the intention of enjoying the fresh air, sunshine, and countryside around them, indeed, many car parties are merely drawihg room parties out of doors. :B,v keeping well to one’s proper side of the road, and by mu stopping on bad bends, no inconvenience wll be caused other drivers. If. is all a matter of mutual consideration and common sense.

MOTOR CYCLING. SUBJECT OF ATTACKS. ANSWER TO' CRITICS. For two or three years the British j motor-cycle industry has been the subI ject or attacks of varying descriptions I (says the “British Commercial News’’). The motor-cycle has been alleged to be “dangerous” ; it is said to be “noisy” ; it has been criticised because of its use to carry a second or “pillion” passenger at no extra cost; the presence of the “pillion” passenger ha.s been declared a danger; it has been regarded as too “.speedy” for English roads, and iso forth, and so on. The critics of the motor-cycle have lost no opportunities to voice their views, and have even abused official position and judicial office to display more of ignorance than of knowledge in matters affecting the motor-cyclist. A northern coroner, dealing with the death of a cyclist—no motor-cyclist was involved—stated: “I have ridden a motor-cycle, and I soon realised that one has only to ride a motor-cycle long enough to be killed.” This is typical of the criticism of

“danger”—in reply to which one need only mention that annually in Great Britain the motor-cycle carries one to four pers ms in perfect safety over 3, CO J,OOO miles! Agreed there are some people who on their own admission are known to be incapable of propelling either a motor-cycle or a perambulator in safety (and yet both are ridiculously simple to manage) ; but all road administration must have regard '•o tlio law of probability, and the fact that road vehicles arc usually of the utmost docility to all but a few of the “gormless” must be given full weight.

As to silence—admittedly certain machines are used too noisily. The users deserve their fate The existing law, however, is unfortunate in its language and aims; it s interpretation is arbitrary and illogical in the untutored hands of the lay magistracy. Motor-cycle manufacturers are only too anxious to manufacture machines which will he quiet in use, hut the emission of exhaust, noise is largely a

question of control by the rider. The existence of noise in certain eases, however, lias led to the circulation of stupid statements. No responsible designer of internal combustion engines would support the suggestion apparently made by the Ministry of Transport officials to the Home Secretary | “that motor-cycles can be made as i silent as four-cylinder motor-cars.” ! The .person capable of ensuring this | wiU obtain enormous financial reward I ! Billion riding has been condemned in j certain quarters, and almost invariably | where an accident involving a motor-' | evcle with pillion-passenger occurs, i the presence of the pillion-passenger is regarded as responsible for the accident. This is regarded almost as a , matter of course bv a section of tin* j yellow Press. “Scare” headlines and i incomplete reports to justify this eFij tude are by no means uncommon. The ! public are never told of the cases (

where a pillion rider is involved in an a cident and escapes injury. They are Kept ignorant of the fact that many accidents would occur in any casepillion rider or not—and they do not know, that, generally speaking, the presence of a pillion-passenger adds to ' lie stability and safety of the machine—if such were really required. Of such character, briefly, then, are the criticisms of the detractors of the motor-cycle. Ignorance mates prejudice, and its sadistic offspring assails the motor-cycle as such when it is its use that at times is quite justifiably under critical discussion.