Cycling and Motoring.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 924, 28 March 1918, Page 23

Cycling and Motoring.

For runabout work the small electric car is coming into favour in America for city use. One big New York garage does a very flourishing business, on the following lines. They contract with owners of electrics to house and attend to everything in connection with the runabout. They accommodate 154 machines, the owners of which are charged a flat rate of £8 per month, this expenditure including current required for charging the battery, inspection of the battery, garaging, cleaning, oiling, and washing, as well as maintaining the inflation of the tyres. It i s anticipated that this type of service will rapidly spread in America, for, besides being economical, it relieves the motorist of all worry. The progressive steps in the decline and disappearance of motoring in Germany are recorded by returned English prisoners from Ruhleben Camp. Firstly, the pneumatic tyres on cars bearing supplies were no longer seen; secondly, rope tyres were used; thirdly, these gave place to wood blocks and springs; fourthly, the cars drove on the rims; then, when the rims gave out, they were seen no more. Then came the horsed vehicles till the horses were requisitioned. They were succeeded by handcarts; those have gone, and now the last, or almost the final phase, is that the supplies are taken to the camp by wheelbarrow. It has been computed that 77 per cent, of the world's motor cars are to be found within the borders of the United States of America. Every fifth family in that country now owns its motor car and 5 per cent, of the population is now dependent on the. automobile for its living. In addition to a large number of motor vehicles a large quantity of miscellaneous motor parts were included in a sale of war-worn material recently held in Paris by the French military authorities. Engine prices ranged from about £20 14s for a 12-h.p. Panhard to £41 for a 50-h.p. Charron. Gear boxes were sold at from £4 12s to £15, back axles from £3 12s to £22 Bs, and radiators from £2 8s to £5 12s. The 99 war-worn complete motor vehicles which were put up for sale realised a sum of £26,842 ; an average of just over £270 per machine.