MOTOR NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 198, 4 August 1928, Page 14

MOTOR NOTES

There are 51,440 car dealers in the United States, 55,154 garage owners, 89,055 repair shops and dealers’ seivice stations. 72,898 retail supply stores and departments.

It is calculated that there are 29,505,475 motor vehicles in the world, of which 78 per cent, are owned in the United States. Last year the total world production of motor vehicles was 4,151,449, the United States being responsible for 81.0 per cent, of the total.

There are 272,000 motor truck fleets in the United States. Associated Bell Telephone Companies own 13,075 trucks, which is the largest fleet.

Operating costs of eleven typical cars, including petrol, oil, tyres, maintenance, depreciation, interest, insurance, garage, and license, shows that 5d per mile pays all costs of operation of the average car in America.

“My only desire is to bathe and sleep,” said Opperman after the finish of the French cycling road race, the Tour de France. “Ever since Evian I have been terribly tired. Nobody in Australia realises what a terrible grind this race is. but I was determined to finish. Ido not know if I will be racing again soon.”

• • • A Maori guide was showing the hot springs of Rotorua to an American couple. “Say, Mamie,” said the husband, “doesn’t this remind you of hell?” “You Americans, said the Maori, interestedly, “travel everywhere.” It is reported that motor boats which will exceed 100 m.p.h. are being built in England with a view to regaining the speed championship secured by America in 1920.

A simple and successful substitute for the more satisfactory but also more expensive proprietary uppercylinder lubricants is ordinary en-gine-oil, which is mixed with the petrol in the approved way. As a rough proportion, half a pint of oil to two gallons of petrol should be ample, and in some cases this can be cut down to a quarter of a pint to the tin.

Some motorists are finding it an expensive business to run over a dog on the road. A Banks Peninsula sheep owner recently recovered £l7 10s out of £2O he claimed as the value of a dog that was run over by a motor-car, and the driver had to pay £5 in costs as well. At Stratford, Taranaki, last week, a man Who had had his leading dog killed while driving a mob of sheep on tbe road, sued the driver of the car, and obtained in the Court the full amount claimed, £lO, and the costs the defendant also had to pay were £4 6s 6d.

Scarcely had the door of the taxi closed before the engine started with a jerk and the cab began to race madly along, narrowly missing lampposts, tramcars, and policemen. Becoming frightened, the passenger —a woman— rapped sharply on the partition behind the driver.

“Please be careful—this is the first time I’ve ever been in a taxi,” she cried. The driver made haste to reassure his fare.' “That’s nothing, ma’am,” he replied, “I’ve never drove one before!”

A sad motoring story. A car flashed through London late one evening. It was travelling on the wrong side of the street; it carried no lights and it did not stop until the traffic policeman had blown his whistle for the third time. The constable ran after the car, mounted the footboard and, looking at the driver, said grimly, “You'll be charged with three offences,” which he detailed. At the end of the recital the passenger who sat next to the driver gave a gentle laugh and said tactfully, “Don't you pay any attention to him, offisher. He's tight.” • • • Small Son: “Daddy, what do you call a man who drives a car?” “It depends on how close he comes to