Behind the Wheel

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22961, 12 February 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

Behind the Wheel

Forests for Tyres

More tlian 50,000,000 rubber trees are required to produce the 75,000 to 80,000 tons of crude rubber used annually by one of tbe leading American tyre manufacturers. Three-day Week

Car manufacturers in Detroit decided on a three-day week throughout most of December. Public demand had fallen considerably and production schedules had to be cut. Component manufacturers report that orders have been caucelled.

London to Istanbul The long-discussed trans-European highway from London to Istanbul moves a stage nearer completion. A big conference between all the countries concerned was opened recently in Budapest. The extension of this road through Africa to Capetown is also envisaged, and a conference is to take place next year in the Belgian Congo. Petrol Poisoning

The sucking of leaded petrol through a tube in order to syphon the spirit from the tank of a car, or from one container to another, may be attended by harmful results. Medical opinion is that the frequent taking of ordinary petrol into the mouth may cause a form of petrol poisoning. Lead poisoning may be contracted if the petrol contains tetra ethyl lead.

German Volkswagen Addressing thoso present at the celebration of the completion of 2000 kilometres of motor road, Herr Hitler promised that in a few months the longawaited car for the German working people would bo in production. The foundation stone of the greatest factory in Germany would soon be laid, he said, after which hundreds of thousands of cars would bo produced annually at the price of a motor-cycle. Colours for Cars

From the colour point of outstanding feature of the recent Paris automobile show was the loss of supremacy by black, which has been the most popular colour at the Paris shows for many years, with blue usually a close second. This year, however, blue was the most popular colour. The colours of 298 cars exhibited were distributed as follow: —Blue, 59; black, 51; grey, 51; maroon, 43; yellow, 6; green, 28; beige, 15; brown, 10. Wind Tunnel Tests

Wind tunnels of various sizes now play a big part in testing streamline theories on anything from scale model trains to full-size aeroplanes, but the results are not always conclusive. The new road-record Mercedes racing car, an excellent streamline shape, proved dangerous during recent tests in Germany, the front trying to lift at speed. The car was withdrawn and the body modified before any further recordbreaking runs were attempted.

Man With 50 Cars . Housed in a palatial garage in Calcutta are 50 cars, all owned by Mr. P. K. Mullick. Fourteen of the number are liolls-Hoyces. Five men are employed exclusively to keep the fleet clean and three chauffeurs stand by, ready to drive away at a moment's notice. Somo of the cars have a mero sentimental value. There are an elderly Minerva, an antique Daimler, one of the earliest Morris models, a Cubitt, an early Hillmau, an old Sunbeam, a 16cy Under Renault, Lincolns. AlfaRomeos, and other notablo makes.