STEAM CARS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20366, 21 September 1929, Page 14 (Supplement)

STEAM CARS.

AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY.

Steam curs Are novelties in New Zealand, and the output from factories to-day is negligible and restricted to the luxury class. It is of interest that probably the most exponsive car in sorvice in <tho Dominion is a solitary Doble which cost 'in tho vicinty of £2600. This interesting vehicle has been running about Auckland recently. Thero aro still enthusiasts in both England and Amorica who consider that tho kteam machine will yet rival tho petrol power plant for road transport. In 1926, about 120 adherents of steam propulsion formed tho British Steam Car Association, and this body is still conducting experiments with tho hope of reviving tho steam car in a form which will appeal to a largo market. At tho wheel of the steam car one must scrap all ideas of control gained driving tho usual geared petrol car. One cannot afford to bo hcavy-handod on the throttle, because tho steam car has flashing acceleration. From a standing start tho brako is simply released and tho hand throttle gradually opened. There , is no other control to worry about, and while a normal car is still going through its ' gears tho steam vehicle is _ fully in its stride. The acceleration is extra- / ordinary, and one suspects that if steam cars wero built at all light thoy _ would '■ tend to tear their tyres about in the hands of a driver who was inclined to .spurt. Only when ono is rather violent with tho controls is thero a whisp of ' exhaust steam to identify tho car. Tho "radiator" functions as. a condenser, nnd thoro is nothing outwardly to disclose tho nature of the power plant. One can do remarkable things on hills. Most motorists are familiar with Club Hill, tho steep grado running from the Magistrates' Court to Princes Street, emerging alongside the Northern Club. It was a test hill over a quarter of a century ago, when Mr. G. Henning introf iluced his first Locomobile steam car. To settlo a wager, this early steam vehiclo climbed the grade. A somewhat different demonstration was given a few days ago with a modern steam car. Running np to the middle of tho hill, the car stopped with the throttle practically closed. Here it was allowed to irmain poised against tho steam pressure, no brakes being used. Then tho throttlo was opened, and tho car simply picked up without a suggestion of effort and rolled over the crest of tho hill at z, 25 miles an hour. It is a remarkablo ' sensation. Thero is no racing engino or simultaneous juggling with clutch and brake. Tho engino of this car was a four-cylinder cross compound type, capablo of something like 180 h.p. Tho boilor is under tho bonnet, and kerosono

or second grade petrol is used for fuel. 'Combustion is effected by forced draught atomising and the start 13 effected by an electric spark. The normal running pressure is about 7501b. per square inch. One certainly gets tho impression of " bottled power " in this sort of car. In these days of flying mile testa it, is interesting to recall that in 1906 Fred Marriott established a word's record of ' 121£ m.p.h.' with a steam car on Daytona Beach. Sixteen years later, m 1922, the record stood at 133£ m.p.h. ■with a petrol car, an increase of onlv 32 m.p.h. . Although thero appears to bo no serious effort to produce steam cars to compete / with tho highly developed petrol motor, threo factories have recently announced

f steam omnibus chassis. They are Doble and the Belling, of America, and tho ' Brooks firm of Canada. The Dolling has a three-cylinder engine, with a boiler running normally at 7001b. per scjuaro inch. Tho Brooks has an eight-cylinder engine, and the water consumption is //approximately the same as the fuel consumption—about four gallons an hour.;

MOTOR TRADE ITEMS.

Fo- the year ended March 31 last the firm of W. 11. Doiman and Company, Ltd., makers of the engines for several fypos of British commercial vehicles, recorded a profit of £13,372. In tfie previous year the adverse balance waa £60,000.

In tha course of ri report on tho motor industry in Switzerland during 1928, drawn up by tho United States Department of Commerce, it is mentioned that as no official figures are available the following are the best estimates of output .obtainable. The Saurer Company was last year the leading manufacturer, its output laving been 600 trucks of various capacities, and 200 buses. The Berna took second place, producing 150 trucks and 100 bases. Tho Arbenz Company turned out 100 trucks, while tho output of the F»W.B., which produces five-ton trucks and also six-wheeled buses, was about 150-vehicles.

1 Rumours have been rifo for some time to tho effect that Genoral Motors, Ltd., intend to utilise tho Vauxhall works at Luton for tho production of the Chevrolet chassis. What is actually happening is a reorganisation of the Luton factory and tho big General Motors service sales arid assembly headquarters at Hendon with a view to greater economy and efficiency. As j, result of this scheme tho sales and service departments of tho , ,Vauxhall Company will bo transferred from Luton to Hendon; the Luton factory, in addition to manufacturing Vauxhall cars, will undertako tho assombly and partial manufacture of tho Clievro-. let chassis,, which has hitherto proceeded eit Hendon. 7