MOTORING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 12 May 1928, Page 14

MOTORING

By “MAGNETO.”

SPARKS. Our idea of an optimist is a man who tries twice to paint. his own car himself and make it look like new. ***** A chap I hate is Thomas Bly; He fills my soul with ire; He stands and makes wise cracks while I. Am struggling with a tyre. *‘* * * * Bill Jndson says his idea of an ideal, neighbourhood is one where everybody else drives a cheaper car than his. ***** Jones: Sorry, old man, that my> hen got loose and scratched up your garden. Smith: That’s all right; my dog ate your lien. Jones: Fine! I just ran over your dog. *,* * * * “My . engine is addicted to knocking and pinking.” “Not iso offensive as mine, old chap, which has developed a nasty habit of spitting back.” * * * * • * “What a women doesn’t know about driving would fill a book.” “And congest a street!” * * * * * “I hate folks who talk behind' your back.” “Me too. Especially when thy’re in the rear seat.” * # *■ * A tow rope is extremely useful in dragging a car out of a mudhole, and most motorists keep one —hanging up in the garage. Push is a great factor is success, especially when you run out of petrol a half-mile from the nearest service station. ***** Holmes: “A slow town, is it?” Watson: “Slow! The police ride bicycles.” tie, ‘ * * . ▼ * Somebody is always asking why motorists don’t give the pedestrians a chance Seems to me they always take plenty for themselves. NOTES AND NEWS. The German national club has hit on a fine idea. It collected a number or the highest legal luminaries and drove them round Berlin to see for themselves how cyclists and horse vehicle drivers disregarded the law. One most learned judge found that out of sixty nori-mechanical vehicles only one had the correct lamps! ***** The French military authorities have lately conducted tests of a heavy oil engine of German design suitable for use on army trucks. It is now reported that at the request of the French Ministry of War two lorries fitted with the engine in question have been loaned by the German makers to enable the authorities to carry out a series of road trials. ***** Loose, crushed stone is about as hard a driving surface as. automobile tyres are called upon to cover. There is a way to cross, however, with a minimum of damage. When approaching such a stretch, pick up enough speed to permit coasting across. This will save the pressure that normally is put on the rear tyres when the car is pulling. •* * * * * It is interesting to note that the new Ford car is equipped with a Drop Centre or Well Base Rim. This rim was originally evolved in England, being an adaption to motor tyres of the old Dunlop Welch patent for wiredon cycle tyres, and is well known amongst motorists owing to the fact that it is now fitted as' standard on practically all English cars coming to the Dominion. This adoption by Ford shows the influence of English design on American practice. * * * * * , Petroleum has been discovered in Tanganyika. Very useful in a country where petrol costs 4s 6cl a gallon. ***** From the columns of a daily paper: “All motor drivers should wear a badge and any publican serving them should be liable to heavy penalties.” * * * •» The whole family owns the car. That is, when the car is idle it is mother’s car, when it is in use it is the children’s car, and when disabled or with a tyre down 1 it is dad’s car. ***** Large users of petrol in Auckland are finding it advantageous to install a private petrol pump and purchase fuel in bulk. A number of local institutions and local bodies have been attracted by the system. A petrol pump can ho secured by a local body for an installation fee of £lO and an annual rental of ten shillings. For this fee the oil company undertakes .to keep the pump in efficient condition. Once the installation is made petrol may he bought in bulk for Is lOd .a gallon, a saving of 3d on the ruling retail cash price. ***** At the close of last year the total number of motor vehicles registered and in use in Ceylon was 17,340. Of these 0071 were private cars, 1330 for hiring, omnibuses, \18t72 lorries and vans (some of which are licensed to carry passengers) and .2023 motorcycles. Great Britain supplied 5556, of which '2584 wore private cars, and 2402 motor-cycles, the remainder being lorries (430), hiring cars (38) and omnibuses (37). (British possession (Canada) sent, a total of 2302, of which 004 we.ro private car* (all, ,except one, Fords), and the remainder commercial vehicles of various sorts. The U.S.A. sent a total of 7345, of which 4011 were private cars; France .813 (717), Italy 706 (647), (Germany 121 (80). Belgium 63 (20), Switzerland and Austria three each, the remaining eight, being unspecified. 'Of British cars the most popular are Austin 614, .Morris 569, iClvno 318, Standard 232, Rover 154, and Wolseloy 11.2. * * * * * Police-constables of Breda, Holland, undergo a course of lessons in motorcar driving as a help to them in their duties of traffic control.

At Home and Abroad

CAN BRITAIN HOLD IT?

CAR COST £IB,OOO. C'aptainu Malcolm Campbell, the British racing motorist, .set up a. world record on Daytona Beach when driving at 206.95602 miles an hour in his Nar pier Bluebird .special motor-car. The now (record was established although, a. hi3.avy gale was blowing. Captain Campbell's maximum speed was 214,797 miles an hour. He turned broadside on at over 210 miles ail hour, but recovered and continued his course'. By setting up the record, Captain Campbell won tne £IOOO cup offered, by Sir Charles Wakefield. Captain Campbell is 44 years of age and was educated at Uppingham. He. has twice held the world’s speed record for one mile and 1 last year won one of the. most important events at Brooklands —the two hundred miles race. The Bluebird, in. which. he achieved his record, took three years to bu'iid. It is fitted with a 450 hrse-power super-charged aeroplane engine which was built for the Schneider Cup air race kust year. New principles were embodied in the gearbox and the double steering system. Fins were arranged at the back of the car to ensure greater stability. The car cost £IB,OOO to build, most of the expense being borne by Captain Campbell- . * The consent of the Air Ministry to use the engine had to be obtained, as hitherto the design of the engine had been kept- ,a close .secret. The record Captain Campbell has broken was. set up bv Major H. O. D- Segrave on March 29. 1927, on the 'same beach.

Major Segrave, driving a Sunlmam car with two engines, each of 500h.p., attained a-speed! of 203.841 miles an hour. Major Segrave, when told the news, said: “I am very glad indeed, but I would advise people not to be too optimistic about oiur holding the record for long, ns I fear that the American challenger. Mr Frank Lockhart, may heat his time. If he does, then I slim,ll certainly try to regain the record for Britain. Tf lie does not, then Captain Campbell can certainly krsep it so far as I am, concerned.”

Major Segrave had previously intimated that he war. (giving up motorcar racing and taking mp motor-boat racing.