Motor

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 196, 21 August 1935, Page 3

Motor

By "Radiator. "

WORLD’S AUTO POPULATION IS STEPPING AHEAD With numerous factories all over the world producing motor cars hy the minute, it is small wonder that what one might call the automobile population of the world has grown to enormous proportions says the Motor. The census for the year picsented soma interesting points and tendencies. The grand total of all automobiles, including buses, coaches and lorries, amounts to 34,927,121, which shows an increase of 1,528,669 on the figure for 1933. Private cars are in the overwhelming majority, of course, and total 28,988,028. The various continents show iNoith America and South America to contain oo 943,626 private cars —a truly staggering figure, which makes one realise the vast extent of the American automobii'o industry. By comparison, European total, which ranks second with 4,749,378 private cars, is but a modest effect, for one has to bear in mind that several - European countries

,such as Holland, Switzerland, and sonio of tho Scandinavian nations uso chiefly American cars. American products arc popular in the rest of tho continents, too, of which Australia conics next with 618,354 private cars. Asia’s 345,914 total just boats the 330,756 of Africa. Studying the continents in detail, wo find that out of the total of 22,943,626 for the American continent, the United States accounts for 21,446,191 and Canada 953,503. The Argentine has 228,631, Brazil 95,000, Mexico 61,000, Uruguay 26,551, and Chilo 32,575. Bermuda, at the other end of the scale, had 13 cars registered in 1934 1 In Europe, Franco leads with 1,586,653 private cars, closely followed by Great Britain’s 1,'389,024. Germany 595,844, Italy 265,847, and Spain 122,500. Tho Faroe Island contains 52 cars whilo tho smallest total for a mainland country is the 300 of Albania. Of tho Scandinavian nations, Sweden is at tho top with 98,200. Holland, assisted by a welldeveloped road system, has 92,130, while other countries of noto are Belgium 97,500, Czechoslovakia 97,137 Irish Free State 93,304. Tho U.S.S.R. with its meagre total of 33,500, obvious )y offers immense scopo for road-trans-port development. Another country which illustrates the dependence of a largo automobile population on good roads is Yugo-Siavia, with a paltry 7,361 cars spread throughout its considerable area.

Australia claims 441,000. New Zealand has 136,469 and Hawaii. 39,146. India has tho greatest motor population of t)bs Asiatic countries, with 106,355 cars among its 300,000,000— odd people. Japan has 54,935, whilo that territory known as Dutch Indies contains 93,280 cars. China can boast only 29,000, its total being almost equalled by tho Philippine Islands, 26,459. British Malay has 21,519 and Ceylon 16,000. Afghanistan has 150 cars, Borneo has 70. As for Africa, tho Union naturally lias the highest total, with 165,603 private cars. Algeria comes next with 49,000, then Morocco 27,045, Egypt 23,919, Rhodesia 12,800, Tunis 11,300, and Kenya Colony 11,215.

PASSING THE TEST Tho relatively small number of failures iu passing tho Ministry of Transport tests must givo those about to undergo the ordeal a great deal of confidence, and now that those who fail aro informed of the reason for their nonsueocss no difficulty should bo experienced when the second attempt comes to be made, writes a London correspondent. From a number of failures it is discovered tho main causo of trouble is in gear changing and ignorance of tho highway code —or rather want of ability to translate these rules into practice. If the candidate will only get three small model ears and play about with them when studying tho rules it will help greatly in coming to a thorough understanding of their actual operation, so that passing the examination job.

TEUTONIC GENTILITY “Politeness is the best policy,''’ declare the German traffio police, and they believe in acting on this axiom. “Four hundred yards from here men are at work on t)ho road. Please take care!" Such is the kind of notice which the motorist observes in Germany nowadays; and then, justt past the danger [point, a further notice: “Thank you for taking care." The motorist who leaves his ear at certain points in Nuremburg, where parking is forbidden, iinds a little surprise awaiting him on his return. On tho windscreen is pasted not a police summons, but a little printed slip bearing a poem begging him to avoid this spot in future, and so to assist traffic and good order in Germany. Tho price of the poem, or of a collection of such poems, is not stated.

HOW AIR-COOLING TAKES EFFECT The air-cooling that is featured in the generators of somo 1935 cars operates in interesting fashion. It can be seen, for instance, on the Point and the Oldsmobii'e. A stream of air drawn past the armature and findings, reducing the temperature sufficiently to permit an increase in the charging rate. A voltage control regulator automatically regulates the rate at which tho battery is charged. When tho battery is at low charge or under severo strain, the charging rat.o is stepped up. When the battery is fully charged, tho rate is automatically reduced. Keeping the battery at full chargo is particularly important in these days of radios, cigcrette lighters and other electrical accessories which demand extra current.