MOTORING WORLD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 253, 20 September 1930, Page 14

MOTORING WORLD.

NOTES. Teacher: “Willie, give me the definition of ‘home.’ ” Willie: “Home is where part of the family waits until the others are through with the car.” Constable: “Mis 3, you were doing quite 60 m.p.h.” She; “Oh, isn’t that simply splendid 1 I only learnt to drive yesterday 1” Of a total of 24,250 cars in use in Cevlon on May 31, 1930, 8296 were of British and 11,226 of American manufacture. “It’s a pretty rich farming country out your way, isn’t it?” “Yes, you never saw so many filling stations to the aore.” Sums approximating £276,000,000 were advanced by finance companies of, the United States during the current callendar year for automobile purchases. There are 8000 to 10,000 turns of enamelled wire on a single magneto armature.

Over 835 British motor-cycles were imported into Australia during the month of February, as against 210 from America.

THE GOLDEN ARROW. ARRIVAL FROM SYDNEY. Tlio Golden Arrow, the world’s most famous racing car, in which the late Sir Henry Segrave established the world’s land speed record, arrived at Auckland by the Ulimaroa from Sydney this week. The car will be exhibited at the All-British (U.K.) Motor Olympia, which is to open at Auckland on October 3. Presented to the British nation by Sir Charles Wakefield, the Golden Arrow is being taken round the world under the auspices of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The car cost £IB,OOO to build. The following details of the car should prove of interest: —Overall length, 26ft; overall height, 3ft 9inj weight, 2J tons; wheelbase, 13ft 4in; ground clearance, 7in; engine, 12 cylinder, 930 h.p.; bore of cylinders, sJin; stroke, 5Jm; tyres, 37in x 7in; tread thickness, l-10th of an inch; maximum speed in low _ gear, 81 m.p.h.; maximum speed in second gear, 160 m.p.h.; record speed, 231.36 m.p.h. RAILWAYS AND ROADS. CO-ORDINATION OF SERVICES. In England and in the United States giant strides have been made in co-ordinating the utilities of the privately owned railways and the automobile passenger' and goods road services. In England the Southern Railways Co. has come to an agreement with many of the automobile operating concerns that provides that each of the contracting parties will work to the mutual benefit of both rail and road interests, and in every caso has acquired a considerable financial interest in the automobile organisations with which they are cooperating. According to the chairman of that company, £1,038,000 had, during the past fiscal year, been invested in that direction. The Lon--1 cJon Midland and Scottish Railway Co. has also adopted a progressive road transport policy and has an interest in automobile- companies that control fleets of over 5000 motor vehicles. The English “L.N.E.” Railway Co. is also co-ordinating its activities with road transport. Some English carrying firms are also co-operating with the railways. They collect parcels and other small consignments, put them into bags or other receptacles and despatch them in bulk by railway, and then pick up and deliver the goods at the other end. The railway companies make a concession of lower rates than would be charged over separate parcels. By I this system, both the railway and carI rior net a profit, whilst the delivery of ' goods is expedited. | In America motor trucks and buses are reported by Mr F. McManamy, chairman of the U.S.A. Interstate , Commerce Commission, to be helping ' the railways, so far as net profits are 'concerned, and the railroad companies ‘ are not losing net revenue from the competition of motor trucks and buses, i Appreciating the fact that, under certain conditions, the automotive transport of passengers and goods gives ( better service to the community, the privately owned American railroad companies have in many instances linked up the two systems of transport under their respective ownership and control. These facts strongly bear out the contention of all those who favour the more progressive form of transport on New Zealand roads where the conditions result in better service than the railways Can offer. WISE HINTS FOR MOTOR USERS. CHECKING THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT. “There is no difference between lighting a fire on a farmer’s land and kindling a blaze in our next-door neighbour’s garden.” This is one of a number of timely

hints given in a recent issue of Motor Cycling, which issues a warning—applicable to all road-users —that the holiday spirit requires to be kept in check. Other hints are: A field to its owner is just as much his property as our own back garden at home, and the rough hedge which surrounds it just as precious in his view as father’s cherished privet. To throw a stone at a cow in the country is just as much molesting another man’s property as turning the garden hose oh the parrot that belongs to the man over the way. Hie prejudice caused by one noisy exhaust is not offset by a hundred really silent machines that pass the same way. A little “showing off” —maybe quite safe in itself, but having the appearance of recklessness —can set dozens of tongues wagging about the danger of the motor-cycle and the terrible risks which we run. By remembering these things we cannot only show that we motor-cyc-lists are sportsmen and gentlemen, but that we behave ourselves a great deal better on holiday than many other sections of the community. STANDARDISATION OF RIMS. Owing to standardisation of automobile wheel rim sizes, the outcome of efforts of the English Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and the Tyre and Rim Association of America, much of the confusion that existed a few years back relative to incorrect fitting of tyre beads to rims has now been averted. To-day purchasers of modern cars are able to procure tyres in any part of the country with the knowledge that the replacement covers will with certainty properly fit and Bit on the rims.

A MEDICAL OPINION. Sir William Arbuthnot Lane, M. 8., M.S. Lond, F.R.C.S., an eminent English surgeon and health specialist, in outlining the many advantages of owning a motor-cycle states: That the motor-cycle offers workers in many cities almost the only practical means by which they can spend their leisifre in the open air and at the same time obtain from the sunlight a maximum advantage. That the motion of a motor-cycle stimulates the various organs of the body to perform the functions efficiently and that riding a motor-cycle teaches a man to arrive at rapid conclusions —a capacity which is often of vital importance in business. THE CALL FOR COLOURS. Although it must be obvious to the public that most popular cars can only be produced at very low prices because of stndardisation, yet one constantly hears stories of now individual owners demand certain colour schemes and will be content with no other. • One day recently a lady entered the London showrooms of a dealer, produced a vanity case in one shade of green and a cigarette lighter in another, and said she would place an order for a saloon if it could be finished in those colours, the main area of the body in the deeper shade, the waistline and wheels in the lighter. Although the firm concerned are now the fourth largest producers of motor cars in Great Britain, they were able to comply with this extraordinary request. It is a far cry from the cay when one large-scale maker, in conference with his dealers when they were demanding a greater variety of body colours, said: “What’s the matter? The public can' have my cars in any colour they like, provided it’s a shade of black 1” ADVANCEMENT MADE. After practically every great achievement in the automobile world, one hears the old query raised “is it worth while?” by those who do not realise that progress and greater efficiency are only possible by pioneering work. It is only 31 years ago since the world famous motor racing continental driver, M. Jenatzy, put up the world’s record speed of 41 miles an hour, and then as now there were those who claimed that such speed demonstrations were unnecessary and dangerous and no one in his right senses would wish to travel at such a speed. To-day there are thousands of motorists who travel at 40 miles per hour as a touring speed when out on the open road, and they are just as safe as were the motorists who 30 years back were satisfied with 15 m.p.h. One thing is certain, there can be no progress standing still and that is why the automobile of to-mor-row always shows by advancement that it is better than the car of today. .