MOTORS AND MOTORING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13369, 26 December 1906, Page 4

MOTORS AND MOTORING.

The distance covered by the motors during the recent six days' competition in Victoria was only 46i miles short of the railway journey from Sydney to Adelaide, through Melbourne. One of the features of the trial was the consistent and meritorious performance of tlio 6-h.p. and 8-h.p. single cylinder machines, which came .off the best of any class. Three in that class started and finished. The most serious structural defect was disclosed by the fracture of frames in thro© cars, thus showing that stronger frames are necessary for the Australian' roads. Faulty coils and frame springs were also common faults, the latter being too light for the roads. Skill and care were 110 doubt factors for success; but the element of luck also entered into the contests, several of the best and most, careful drivers being put out through no fault of their own. Groat, interest was taken in tho contest all along the routes. The winner of the blue riband is a young rider who was conspicuous for his great earn and skill throughout. The demand ffir small two-seatocl ears appears to have diminished of late (says | the London Sportsman), and the popular light ear is now from eight to ten horsepower, having accommodation for at, least three passengers. The smaller single-cvlind-or cars have no doubt suffered in comparison with the development of tri-cars, which have greater speed and are now made so that the passengers are well protected against the weather. The small Rover car is one of the best of its class, but, as showing how closely the cost of these small vehicles has to be calculated, it is announced that the price will be raised, presumably because £100, at which figure it has up till now been sold, does not return a sufficient margin of profit to the makers. For th© eight months ending August last. France exported motor-cars to the value of £3,612,880, which is an increase of £880,000 over the corresponding period of the preceding year. • * ■» - j