TERRIFIC SPEED

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1929, Page 3

TERRIFIC SPEED

A USTIUI,IAN-DFSJGNFI) CAR. NEW ZEALAND TEST SOON. SYDNEY, November 28. New Zealand is soon to see a real speed car—one credited with putting up the fastest time of all cars in Australia to date—l2l miles an hour. This car was designed in Australia by two men who are prominent in the racing world here, and they are well satisfied with the preliminary tests that were carried out on a concrete road somewhere near Sydney at dawn on Sunday morning last. Then the machine was not all out, for the conditions for a speed test were not satisfactory. Still there was no difficulty in making the 121 miles, and the way the engine behaved indicated that a speed of between 170 and 180 miles was within its

compass. The new car may be termed a Rolls-Royce-Cadillac special, for it is fitted with a 12-cylinder aero engine (RollsRoyce) and there is a Cadillac chassis on which has been placed a steel body with a fin-ended tail .This machine is of great length and looks more like a motor-car than some of the engines that have been designed for great speed in other parts of the world. That is so to say it is not a freak which it is contended make a terrific speed possible. i If the car behaves as well as is anticipated, Smith and Harkness intend to go after the world’s ten mile record, which was attained in France some months ago at an average speed of 133.54 miles per hour. For such an effort the scene will have to be carebully selected, and a search of Australia lias failed to reveal a stretch that could be regarded as satisfactory. As both men are familiar with the Kai-. taia beach in New Zealand, it was not surprising that they sould have selected this as the venue of their big trial—their world conquest. It is likely that the big car will be shipped to the Dominion soon after it has .established an official Australian record so that it can make the attack on the world figures early in January. If the world’s record is established Smith and Harkness will then concentrate on the building of a machine which, they hope, will beat the tremendous record established by Major Segrave.