THE BEAN TWELVE

NZ Truth, Issue 1103, 20 January 1927, Page 14

THE BEAN TWELVE

Over "NL Z. Truth's" Test Course FINE BRITISH SMALL MODEL

COME of our readers who have been interested m the small British ° car will remember the little "Perry," one of those well-built small cars which were so popular about 1914. The family name has now been changed, and since the war the car has been known as the "Bean."

THE smallest model now made is the twelve-ho__e power car, and we have just ,had the opportunity of testing, one of these over a long trip. In view of the. attitude which so many motorists adopt towards British cars, it is remarkable that we have had equally satisfactory results from all which we have tried out, and among the number the Bean undoubtedly, holds a very high place. -The engine is rated at twelve horsepower R.A.C. and is remarkable for its solid construction, for the fact that no belts are used to drive any components and for- the very high position m which the magneto is mounted, keeping this accessory clear Of water when rivers or floods have to be negotiated. Pressure lubrication is employed. EXTRA COMFORT ' The dry plate clutch and four-speed gear-box are\built m one unit with the engine and the speedometer drive is built into the gear-box. Four-wheel brakes are fitted, and these are of the" "servo" type and therefore very easy to apply. , A feature of these brakes is that — . once adjusted correctly— any tightening up required as the linings settle down can be carried out by turning one large wing nut. oh' the pedal rod. This i adjusts all the brakes equally. Oh thie 'touring car which we tested the -front seat is adjustable, and "E.X.8." was able to get as much leg room as he pleased, still leaving plenty of leg room for th» rear seat passengers. Another , good feature of the body, by the way, is the provision of thick coir mats on the floqr. .Only those who have driven cars .with • thin rubber mats can appreciate the extra comfort which is given by the "door-mat" style of floor-covering. :Another aid to comfortable driving is the- cubby-hole; which is provided at each side of the instrument panel, and which will take quite a number of odds and ends m the way of pipes, books 'and small parcels. 'On the road the car is one. of the, most interesting which we .have tested.

All our road teßtswere carried out with Aye m the car, and It is interesting to n6te that, if desired, two passengers can easily be carried alongside the driver. The car is not Intended to be unusually fast, but we have touched 60-m.p.h. with it on a bitumen road. It will, however, reel off mile after mile at 45-50 m.p.h., and the specially good springing enables this speed to be maintained even over poor road surfaces. The car will do between twenty*-flve and thirty m third gear, and this is the gear with which most hill-climbing is done. In' this gear she is very flexible' and easy to handle over our often awkward hill climbs.-, STRIKING FEATURES The most striking features are the steering , and the brakes. The car can be steered at all speeds with one finger on the Jim of the wheel, and a child could apply the foot-brake, the brakes ; beingf wonderfully smooth In action. ■■.*■' We feel certain that this car will make its mark m the New — Zealand market, and we look forward to seeing a great many on the road during tho ' next twelve months. '■ ■' \ To whom will it appeal? To those who like a car which is slightly, different m appearance and general characteristics from the every- day car on the road, to those who like to be able to do a 250-mile trip m a day at a failturn of speed, and still- feel fit to do a theatre m the evening, and even to those who are- looking for an extra comfortable "potter-bus;" 7 (But most especially it ; should appeal to drivers who have to be m th. car every day; they will find- the extra comfort provided by a. comfortable driving position, finger-light steering and super-brakes more than compensate for the little extra attention to the gear-box ' Which seems to frighten so many people when faced with a car with that highly-efficient unit— a fourspeed gear-box.;