LONG DISTANCE RECORDS

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11737, 26 January 1924, Page 14

LONG DISTANCE RECORDS

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS The present summer has already witnessed the breaking of several inter-State records, and the latest success has gone to the little 10-h.p. Citroen, which has established a new record time for light cars between Melbourne and Sydney. The car’s performance was particularly fine, for, although its horse-power was so small, the trip was completed in 15 hours S') minutes, which is only 98 minutes behind the present record for a heavy car, which is still held by Mr A. V. Turner, who won it in a six-cylinder Delage. The Citroen pulled out of the Victorian capital with Mr A. Vaughan at the wheel and Mr G. McKenzie as mechanical expert, at 3.30 o’clock in the morning. By 6.50 p.m. on the same day the sturdy little car had won through to Sydney without mishap. Mr Harrison, a well-known member of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, timed the car on its departure, and despite the early hour, quite a group or people gathered to "cheer the record-breakers on their way. FAST TIME IN THE DARK. It was during the hours of darkness, on the stretch of road between Melbourne and Seymour, that fastest time was made, the distance of 61 miles being covered in 1 hour 10 minutes. After leaving Seymour tho main road became very bad, and the little car received a severe buffeting, which, however, it withstood manfully. It was whilst covering this section that the first of three minor casualties occurred, the petrol ipipe being fractured close to the carburettor. The damage was quickly repaired with a short length of rubber tube, and the car was soon under way again. When nearing Wangaratta a rather absent-minded countryman in a Ford almost brought disaster upon the Citroen. Apparently, he thought that the noise of the car’s engines emerged from i a passing aeroplane, and instead of pulling to one side of the road, he craned his neok skyward in an attempt to see the proposed flying man. The result was that the Citroen was forced into a washout on the side of the road, and for a moment was obliged to run with only two wheels on Mother Eiarth. Fortunately no damage resulted. At Wodonga, a town a few miles on the Victorian side of Albury, arrangements had been made to keep the railway gates open, but, as

bad luck would have it, a train blocked the passage of the car. This unexpeefct ed obstacle necessitated a quick detout to another crossing a little further down the line, and some minutes were lost thereby. AVOIDING THE POLICE. Albury was the rext centre reached, and here a brief -halt was made for sup-, plies and refreshments. A little -beyond Albury, while passing through a small settlement, the local constable darted out from tbe post office in a state of great excitement. At first it seemed that, he intended to waylay the car, but as soon as it drew abreast of him, he wav-’, ed his arms excitedly and urged Mrl Vaughan ‘‘to go it.” Only a fear that! the Traffio Department might visit itsj wrath on such a sport prevents us from naming the locality where this happened. After passing through Holbrook, raanv. flocks of sheep and cattle were on-) countered on the roads, and placed an added strain on the driver. Fortunately, 1 Jlr Vaughan had spoken to the drover' a few days previously, when journeyip to Melbourne, and 'had told them £} proximately the time he would pass then, on the road, and they, in their turn) did everything possible to give him a clear run. , The petrol pipe again fractured in lha neighbourhood of Gundagai, but oncii • again it was quickly repaired, and gpod time was made to Goulburn. The rumour had leaked out that the police of that town, who are widely renowned for their zealous attentions to car drivers,) were on the look-out to "cop” l? e Citroen. For once, however, they were' disappointed, for the car was drivonl along back streets, and the myrmidons! of the law remained, in the words of the old song, "Standing at the Corner of the Street.” , From Goulburn a very quick trip was made to Sydney, although parts of the highway were in bad condition. The trip over this section occupied only 8 hours 25 minutes. With the exception of the two mishaps to the pertol pipe, which we have mentioned, the only other accident was to the shock absorbers on the rear springs, which were distorted owing to the excessive road shocks.