MOTOR-CAR SALES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19292, 3 April 1926, Page 10 (Supplement)

MOTOR-CAR SALES.

AUCKLAND LEADS THE CITIES. More motor-cars aro sold in Auckland than in any other city in the Dominion. The provincial and district sales aro also easily in the lead. The Auckland district absorbs more than 13 per cent, of the cars sold in the Dominion. Although the New Year rush had subsided, February was an encouraging month for dealers throughout New Zealand. Thero were 1148 cars sold in the North Island and 605 in tho South Island. Auckland district led with 248 care. In Wellington 124 cars wero sold in February, while Christ-church had 148 and Dunedin 90. Following an tho chief provincial totals for February:— Auckland Province ... ... 578 Wellington 83ti Ptugo , 274 Canterbury 258 Ilawko's Bay 121 Taranaki 113 Tho following table reveals the increaso in motor-car sales in Auckland district since April, 1924, together with tho sales for the Dominion:—

i WAIHI RACES. ' A motor race meeting will be held at Waihi Beach rin Saturday, April 17, under ( the auspices of the Waihi branch of the A.A.A. Sis local racing cars will be ' among the competitors. Convenient camping sites are available on the beach. Entries will be accepted by, tho Waihi branch or at the Auckland office of the A.A.A. A.A.A. ACTIVITIES. ' Following on information obtained during his recent visit to the National Park, tho service officer of the A.A.A. will place a number of signposts on the roads leading out of Taupo and Tokaanu at the end of the month. Later, a. more comprehensive scheme for this locality will be considered by the A.A.A. Mr. Champtaloup and Mr. J. A. Warnock will visit Gisborno on April 23, to establish an agency and to arrange for signposting in the district. CAPE TO CAIRO. I An expedition left England in August, 1924, to attempt the journey from Cape Town to Cairo by motor-car. The cars used wero two Crossleys. Aftre sixteen months of extraordinary difficulties and dangers, Cairo was reached on January 24, 1926. This is the first occasion on which the whole length of Africa has been covered by motor-car, and approximately 13,000 miles were traversed. At times the rate of progress was only a mile a day. Desert, forest, mountain and river had to be fought. Extremes of cold and heat had to be endured. Insect pests caused illness on more than ono occasion. Often the cars were completely submerged in water, but tho expedition went on to its triumphant conclusion. MOTOR OLYMPIA. The Auckland Motor Traders' Association has decided not to hold a Motor Olympia this year. Irs spite of the record attendance at the show last year, it is considered that a yearly show is, at present, too great a burden on the exhibitors. The cost to individnal firms exceeds £IOO in many cases, and it is thought that it will be advantageous to suspend the show during 1926. Tho problem of securing suitable accommodation would have also to have been faced, as th« Prince's Wharf sheds cannot be spared by the Harbour Board. NOTES. Over 35,000 patent applications were filed during 19Z5 at the British Patent Office. Of these brain storms over 12,000 related to motor vehicles and internalcombustion engines. » What the water troughs were to horse traffic, so is the petrol kerb pump to motor traffic, only that it is suffering from restrictions. It is just as necessary that there should be petrol supplies always handy in these days, as it was that horses should be provided with water. Water troughs, however, were never taxed. An invention which has been patented by a Bradford motor engineer, it is claimed, does away with the necessity for in motor-cars. Essentially tho invention consists of an oil chamber which is firmly attached to the flywheel of the engine, inside the oil chamber being a fan which oscillates and past which the oil in tho chamber flows, a resistance being set up which is increased or decreased according to the gradient resistance met with by tho wheels and back axle, this resistance being transmitted to tho oil chamber by a simple link motion and causing tho fain to work more slowly or more quickly.

1925. Auckland. New Zealand. April 137 1.396 May 151 1,507 Juno .. . 153 1,342 July .. 171 1,404 August . . 193 1,263 September 180 1,336 October . . . 228 1.547 November 224 1.734 December 337 2,173 1926. January . . 250 1,782 February 248 1,753 Total for 11 months . 2,277 17,297