NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19838, 7 January 1928, Page 10 (Supplement)

NOTES.

Mineral lubricating oil imported into New Zealand during the 11 months, January-November, 1927, totalled ib.OaO gallons, an increase of 547,000 gallons on the aggregate for the corresponding period of 1926. Motor vehicle imports into New Zealand for the 11 months, January-Novem-ber, 1927, were valued? at £1,798,026, as compared with £3,360,471 for the same period in 1926. The total number of cars, trucks, buses and chassis of all types imported in the 11 months was 11,622, as compared with 21,108 in the JanuaryNovember period, 1926. A novel idea has been introduced overseas by affixing lamps of low candle-power at the'ends of the bumper bars. Being set in a low position, these lamps give a fairly good illumination of the road when the headlight is dimmed, and furthermore give other road users a dafinite indication of the width of the car, thus enabling them to make a better judgment regarding clearance. The lights would also be useful at night when parking in congested areas. ) Exports of British motor vehicle!?, chassis and parts, including both private and commercial types, during the nine months ended September 30, 1927, totalled in value £7,718,018, as compared with £6,818,257 during the corresponding months of last year, and £7,147,931 for those of 1925. Of private cars the numbers exported during the respective periods were: 1927, 10,824, valued at £2,378,418; 1926. 10,415, £2,227,368; 1925, 12,441, £2,994,657. Tne falling-off here shown is made up by the increased number of chassis exported (chiefly to Australia), the figures for those being, for chassis below 28 cwt.: 1927, 12.643, £1,764,764; 1926, 8328, £1,160,176; 1925, 1989, £619,947. Interest in coil ignition is increased due to a number of British manfacturers adopting this form of ignition in place of the magneto. Coil ignition was first used in 1859, and was favoured in preference to the magneto up to 1910, when, due to lack of reliability of batteries, the magneto, which is a self-contained generator of high-tension current, was adopted by practically all motor-car manufacturers. The growing popularity of coil ignition to-day is due to the fact that no matter what the engine speed is the intensity of spark is constant, which provides perfect ignition irrespective of piston speed. The battery is the source of current. The coil is a non mechanical apparatus, which converts the low voltage from the battery into more than 6000 v01t.3, and the coil is to step up the voltage. The remaining important parts are the make aftd break, and the distributor.