The Motor World

NZ Truth, Issue 750, 1 November 1919, Page 8

The Motor World

» „ ■ (By "Crank-")

Rolls Royce Limited axe making arrangements to manufacture cais m America. The new departure will be followed with great interest. • • • A very rapid increase m car production is taking place m the United States. In January, thirty-one of the principal companies produced 2984 cars a day. In April they produced 7084 (per day. The average will soon reach 10,000 cars daily, and well over 3,000,000 cars a year will be put on the market. • • • It is largely on the impossibility of getting British cars that the outcry against the maintenance of the restrictions of imports by the British Government is being made. It is now announced that after September 1 all restrictions which at present exist are to be removed, and a fixed 33 l-3rd per cent, duty will be levied on all motor cars imported into the country. Under the preference arrangement cars from Canada will get m at 22 per cent. 0 • « The tendency of the British makers is to produce high-priced cars, but | there is a large demand for the cheaper vehicle, and efforts are being made ]to meet this. Messrs. William Cubbitts and Sons, of London, are manufacturing a car fitted wifch a 4-cylin-der engine, bore and stroke 3JL5in. and 6.5in., which is being put on the I market at £220. The ignition, lighting, and starting sets are on AmeriI can lines; no magneto is fitted, the current being taken through a battery j and coil from the lighting dynamo. The wheels are of the pressed steel i diso type, and are easily detachable by unscrewing five nuts on the hub. From the owner's point of view the chassis lubrication of the car is especially good, there being not a single grease cup on any part of the mechanism. The manufacturers hope to produce 20,000 . of these cars next year. « # • The arrival of the Citroen car on ! the French market has created a great : stir, and is apparently strongly resented by the motor car makers of France, who are a very close body. Reference has been made to this car m these notes before. It is the nearest approach to a Ford which French factories have yet produced, but it is apparently not quite as efficient as its American rival. It is reported to be a very satisfactory car foT two passengers, but is not suitable as a fourseater car. Andre Citroen has made an entirely new departure m the matter of advertising. French car manufacturers admittedly did not understand the elements of advertising. They spent very little money on it, and what they did spend was usually wasted. Citroen came out with a large advertising programme which made a strong appeal to the public. He lias been able to secure heavy deposits of £50 per caT, although he •has not yet begun to put the cars on the market. • • • At the recent meetings of the Society of Motor Car Engineers, Michigan, | there was general agreement that the i future car would be lighter, have smaller engines, and would give a considerably greater mileage for a gallon of fuel than the cars at present m use. It was suggested that a 9001 b flve-ipassenger car was a possibility of the near future. The light cars would have four cylinders, the heavier cars six cylinders, but it was generally agreed that there would be few eight and twelve cylinder engines m the future. It was pointed out by these ,experts that maintenance must be made less of a problem for the car- owner, and that to popularise the use of motor cars still further the cars should run at least fqrty miles on a gallon of fuel. It was also stated that engine changes would be required m ordeT to, make possible a general use of low-grade fuels. « • • During the summer of last year, the ex-Kaiser ordered a car of the latest type from the Daimler Motor Co., which was to be fitted with a special touring body at the Forrler Body Works at Strassburg. The work had just been completed whten the Kaiser fled to Holland, and when the Allied armies reached Strassburg the car was still there. It was then driven to Paris, where it remains. It is a fourcylinder car, with a Knight sleeve valve engine, 3.9 by 5.9 inch bore, and stroke, develops 70-h.p. at 1800 revolutions, although officially rated at 24.45 -h.'p. The body work is a particularly fine example of up-to-date German lines. The folding top disappears m the body. The seats are of the Pullman type, and two very comfortable folding seats are brought forward. The wind -shield is divided vertically down the centre, so that the driver's portion can be opened while the passenger obtains ' full protection.