MOTORING WORLD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 204, 29 July 1939, Page 15

MOTORING WORLD

RELICENSING FIGURES

EXPAXSIOX AIAIXTAIXED,

'l'be number of motor vehicles licensed at June 30 last, following the annual re-licensing process, shows that there lias been an increase compared with the previous year of 21,508 vehicles, which is equal to 9.16 per cent. So substantial an increase in one year is all the more marked when it is realised how these numbers have been vapidly expanding for many years. The latest- total is higher than that of six years ago by 110,127 vehicles, the present number of licensed vehicles being To per cent in excess of those of June 30, 1933. Cars have shown the most important increase in this six-vear period, to-day’s total being 86,923 or over 87 per cent higher. There lias been an increase of 60 per cent in light and heavy trucks during the same period. An analysis of the various types of motor-vehicle licensed as at June 30 last, with a comparison for the same date of 1938, is as follows :

Totals ... 260,283 21,608 9.16< * .Decrease. The substantial advance shown in the numbers* of unclassified motorvehicles (which include caravans and trailers) is partly due to an increase in the registrations of motor vehicles used for agricultural and road construction purposes. A decline in the number of motorcycles has been noted ill the officio I ctorns of the motor registration branch of the Post Office for several years, and is again demonstrated in the latest figures, decrease's being reported in every licensing district. The total disclosed following the •ompletion of the annual relicensing locs not represent the full extent of the Dominion’s motor fleet, as there ire 66.827 dormant registrations on the 1938-0 register alone. As most of these will probably lie re-licensed in due course, the actual total exceeds 312,(UK). The following arc the details of motor vehicles relicenscd in flic more important- licensing districts, indicating the increases (except of motor■yolos) which have taken place since lie previous annual relicensing:— Auckland— Xuhiber. Increase

“Decrease. 11EADLIGIiT FAI LUItE. If one headlight bulb burns out frequently, the trouble is practically certain to be duo to an intermittent short-circuit in the wire to that bulb. This can be caused by a chafing ol the rubber insulation surrounding the wire. The most likely place for this to occur is inside the lamp shell, just behind the reflector. If the trouble is not here, it will be somewhere along the wire before it makes a junction with the wire from the other lamp. If there is an intermittent short after this junction, both lamps will he affected. Once found, the faulty section is easily repaired Inputting a few turns of black insulating tape round the broken rubber covering. \ BRITISH STATISTICS. The 1311 1 edition of the home market analysis, prepared by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders of London, has just been published. An estimate is given that the probable number of private ears in use m Great Britain by September 30, 1939, will be 2,134.000, an increase of 100.000 over 1938. The total number of mechanically propelled road vehicles in use, it is claimed, will amount to more than 3,100.000 Another interesting item is that the average life of a private car in Great Ilritain is 5.22 years. OIL TKAIPERATURE. At last, the designers of motor-cars are realising that the temperature ol the oil in the engine base chamber is important. One manifestation of tins is tlie use of new types of radiator grille, set low down and designed so that a. draught of air will pass through and flow round the sump. One American authority, alter a jnerios ol’ tests, stated that the teinpcrnt.urc of the sump oil ill mi engine when it is cold is about 12 degrees C. This increases to I t degrees G. alter five minutes’ running and 16 degrees C. after 10 minutes, while 20 minutes running, increases the temperature to oq degrees C. However, an hours driyi,i<r brings the oil temperature up to 60" degrees C. From these figures, it will be appreciated that a much longer time is occupied in warming the oil than the cooling water, but as fairly hot and thin oil is necessary to get. properly into the cylinders and piovide effective lubrication, dmt will not do its work properly when it is too hot. tbe need for some exact method ol controlling its temperature will bo appreciated. It is stated that serious attention is being paid to the possibility of warming the oil more qhiicklv by by-passing some of the boated cooling water round it and then providing some means of maintaining it at a constant temperature .while tlie engine is running. This is the practice followed in many racing cars.

PorcontaKC Typo. Number. Increase. liicrcfi.sc C.';t is .. 186,502 17.300 10.28 Trucks .. 40,901 2.089 5.37 Otlicrs .. 17,250 3.331 23.93 Cycles .. 11,540 1,302* 10.14*

Oil's 137,974 4404 Trucks 7.(390 405 Others 2,81tl 481 Cycles 2.983 *119 Hamilton — Cars 10,900 1745 Trucks 4,078 235 Others 1.043 329 Cycles 801 *193 Xanier— Ca rs 8,723 735 Trucks ' 2,407 178 Others 820 122 Cycles 333 *84 New Plymouth— Cars 10,033 705 Trucks 2,434 112 Others 480 00 Cycles 590 *119 Waiuranui — Ca r s 7,074 501 Trucks 1.(317 86 Others 545 106 Cycles 371 *72 Palmerston North— Cars 11.344 734 Trucks 2.320 151 Others 914 200 Cycles 493 *92 Wellington— Cars 22,440 2319 Trucks 4.271 157 Others 1,800 278 Cycles 1,255 *118 Christchurch. — Cars 23.720 2100 Trucks 4.057 202 Others 2.620 4S4 1.690 *173 Dunedin— Cars 11.309 983 Trucks 2,482 74 Others 1.199 240 Cycles 917 *91 Invercargill— Cars 8.730 070 Trucks 2.100 111 Others 1,112 270 Cycles 403 *24