THE MOTOR WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19530, 13 July 1925, Page 12

THE MOTOR WORLD.

By ACCELERATOR.

(Continued from page 11.) MOTOR NEWS PROM GREAT BRITAIN. By “R.A.C.” COMFORT IN THE CAR. There lias lately been a strong movement in Great Britain in favour of the provision of adjustable driving seats in cars large and small. For some time past the Autocar has been rubbing in the importance of this provision, and nowadays it is fortunately possible for the owner of even a light car to be really comfortable while driving, whatever may be his height. The adjustable front seat is one of the notable improvements of the 1925 model of 10.20 h.p. four-seated Singer light car as compared with the preceding model. Another is the fitting of patent pneumatic upholstery. This, in conjunction with efficient springs and low pressure balloon tyres, makes this inexpensive but eminently reliable vehicle extremely pleasant even for the longest journeys. One of the .first manufacturers to realise the disadvantages of the fixed seat was the Sunbeam Company. Their ears were the first to be standardised with a driving seat allowing considerable movement, which in the present models is about six inches. The seat is moved without driver or passenger leaving it, and is securely locked into position by a small lever. The leading accessory manufacturers are also doing their share in the work of mak - ing the motorist comfortable, and all sorts of little fittings which arc useful as well as ornamental are now obtainable. A very neat little thing in this lino is the Smith wireless cigar lighter, so-called because there are no wires between the lighter and the base. The fitting is adaptable to either a six-volt or 12-volt circuit, and glows bright red in three seconds after pressing the switch. A great advantage is that the lighter, not being attached to its base by wires, can be handed to any occupant of the car at any distance. ENGINE DESIGN. In the now 40-50 h.p. Rblls-Royce known as the “Now Phantom’’ the principal advance as compared with the old type is to bo found in the engine which, with an R.A.C. rating of 43.3 h.p., gives about 13 per cent, more power than the old engine at the same speed. Overhead valves have been adopted instead of side-by-side valves. Before deciding on the new engine, the Rolls-Royce Company carried out exhaustive experimental work, designing and thoroughly testing four distinct typos, including a six-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft, a twelve-cylinder Vtype engine, and a straight eight. After prolonged study, all those types wore abandoned in favour of that which has now been adopted. Tlio most remarkable feature of the now 12-40 h.p. sporting Star is certainly the engine. This is of the overhead valve type, the valves being placed along a detachable cylinder head and operated by push rods and short rockers. Other features are aluminium pistons, duralumin connecting rods and sparking plugs carried in recesses. Though of fairly long stroke and high pressure ratio, the engine runs extraordinarily sweetly throughout its whole range of speeds. It is very free from vibration and can bo driven slowly almost to stopping point on top gear without betraying any tendency to thump. Since marine motors began to be properly standardised, a great deal has been done in the direction of securing a high degree of simplicity. Thus the 10-14 h.p. four-cylinder Ailsa Craig “Kid” with overhead valves, operated by camshafts acting direct, has about one hundred less working parts than engines built on the push rod and rocking arm principle. One result is a reduction in manufacturing costs, which enables the complete outfit to be sold at the Homo price of £IOO. Turning to aero engines, wo find that the British Government insists on more searching tests than any other country. One tost is a run of one hundred hours duration at nine-tenths of rated power. The latest test of a Napier engine was of one hundred and four hours duration and on this occasion, instead of taking the standard rating of 450 h.p., the engine was run on the rating of 470 h.p. For one hour when undergoing its high power test it developed 494 b.h.p. OVERSEAS DEMAND FOR BRITISH PRODUCT’S. The Bean 20-25 cwt. commercial vehicle has made a wonderful start overseas. During the past six months nearly one-third of the entire output of the firm’s commercial vehicle department has been exported, and this despite the fact, that the Home demand has been very large. The groat attention that British manufacturers have given to the production of vehicles for municipal and public service work is having its reward in the overseas markets. Just recently the Albion Motor Car Company has received an order from Hongkong authorities for the supply of five 30 cm hand-tipping garbage wagons. There are already a number of older Albion vehicles in municipal service at Hongkong. The same firm has recently received an order from a foreign government for a number of workshop wagons. Each of these contains a 3j-kilowatt generator driven by a silent chain from the clutch shaft and supplying current for the lighting outfit and for a lathe, grinding wheel and two drilling machines. In addition, complete equipment for blacksmith work is carried. The Government of Afghanistan has recently acquired a (loot of no less than 33 Thornycroft lorries. 'The country is devoid of railways and has hardly atiy roads worthy of the name. Dependence has hitherto been placed upon animal transport, and the new development is interesting as showing how the motor vehicle is coming to bo used for early development of new territories in preference to incurring the high initial cost of building a railway. The authorities responsible for the Calcutta tramways have decided to make supplementary use of motor buses, and they have selected tho well-known English make, the Loyland. Calcutta recently also acquired a fire-engine of the same make, capable of a speed of 55 miles an hour on the road. Another Loyland fire-engine lias lately boon delivered to the Dunedin Fire Brigade. This machine has a capacity of 1150 gallons a minute, or 45 tons of water per hour, at a pressure of over 100 pounds to tho square inch. As regards British private oars, it. is particularly interesting to note that the 3litre Bentley is becoming quite popular in tho United States of America, despite the high tariff imposed on imported vehicles. Another interesting order is that placed by an Indian Rajah for three Bentley cars. One is of the sporting open typo and is for personal uso, tho second is a larger car for tho conveyance of beaters and game on hunting expeditions, while the third is a twelve-seated wagonette for the use of tho ladies and domestic staff. The point of particular interest lies in the clear acknowledgement that the Bentley is not inorolv a sporting ear of tho highest class, but is- equally capable of heavy work over really bad roads. In respect of aerial developments. Groat Britain is well to tho fore. At an Air Pageant bold not long ago in Tokk> the predominance of the British aero engine was very noticeable, practically all the machines engaged in the demonstrations being fitted with the famous Napier 450 li.p. engine. COMPETITIONS AND RECORDS. New figures have just been set up for the 24-hour motor cycle record, two riders taking turn and turn about with spells of two hours each on a French racing track. Previously tho record was hold by Mr H. A. Collier, and has stood ever since 1807. Mr Collier is the general manager of tho factory producing the well-known “Matchless” motor cycles. His record ws made on the Canning Town Track, which is really no more than a cycle track of about three laps to the mile and his “Matchless” o' that date averaged nearly 40 miles an hour over the whole period. As a feat of endurance this, of course, far surpasses anything that hao been done in the breaking of his record after an interval of la years. For tho first time n motor cycle of less than 1000 c.c, has covered a lap of Brooklands trade at over 100 miles an hour. The rider was Mr V. Horsman, and his mount tho Triumph, one of the oldest and best reputed names in the motor cycle trade, On a 750 c.e. machine ho averaged over 105 miles for a kilometre, and very nearly reached tho same figure for a mile. On a 500 c.c, machine ho made world’s records for tho five miles with flying start and the 10 miles with standing start. In nil, ho has lately broken no loss than 14 world and British records, all on Triumph machines. In this year’s Paris-Nice Reliability Trifil tho most important motorcycle event of this Kind in France, four British B.S. A. machines were entered. Of these the team, consisting of one 2.49 horse power model and two 3.49 models, secured the team prize and three gold medals, and was the only team of more than two machines to complete the trial without loss of a mark. The other B.S.A. entry was a 4.49 horse-power and sidecar, which was the winner of three cups and a gold medal, and made the best light sidecar performance. Afterwards the same machine won the standing start kilometre at Nice, and the very stiff La Turbie hill climb, beating the psevkms records for

this hill in the 350 c.c. class by more than live minutes. In England the great motor cycle reliability event is the A.C.U. six days’ trial. Every machine, including its running equipment, is selected by the officials from manufacturers’ or agents’ stock, no variation from standard specification being allowed and no special preparation permitted. Throughout the trials the machines are under constant supervision, and in tne awards reliability, hill climbing, brakes, silence, and final condition are all taken into account. This year the special team award went to the A.J.S. machines, all three of which gained the highest possible, awards in the shape of gold medals. One was a passenger combination, which also had the distinction of making the best sidecar performance In the London to Land’s End run this year there were many good performances, but none to beat that of the throe little 9.30 horse-power Rover light cars, all of which gained gold medals. This is, of course, the water-cooled model similar in t ( , (-bp 3 horse-power aircooled Rover, but of slightly higher power and price. MOTOR CYCLE NOTES. H. Le Yack, with a 340 c.c. Coventry Eagle machine and side-car, has lowered the world’s side-car record In the 300 c.c. class, covering the kilometer at a mean speed of 78.08 in.p.h. The first appearance of the new 3i h.p. A.J.S. in the senior T.T. races must have been a very convincing display. It completed the conrse without any signs of mechanical trouble, finishing in second place. A machine of similar typo is expected in Jsew Zealand for next summer's racing. A little-known fact is that 1000 motor cycles are to be found in China (probably mostly owned by Europeans). British Honduras and French Guiana hold the record for the smallest recorded number of motor cycles (five each), and Paraguay comes next with only eight. For three years in succession the New Hudson entry in the 1000-mile Stock Machine Trial has obtained 100 per cent, efficiency. In each case three machines entered, and in each case three machines finished without a loss of points and won gold medals, and twice they won the teams prize. An A.J.S. side-car will accompany two Guy-Roadless semi-creeper track light lorries to he used by the Michael Terry Northern Australian Expedition. Led by Mr Terry, the party, numbering six, proposes to travel from Port Darmin through much unknown country in the north and north-west of Australia down to Perth. Each member of the executive staff of the Indian Motor Cycle Company, U.S.A., will shortly he mounted on an Indian Prince, using it for pleasure as well as business. Although production was averaging 80 machines per day in April it would be June before the staff could be supplied on account of back orders having to be fulfilled. The year 1007 is famous as being the year of the first International Tourist Trophy Race. No more striking commentary upon the improvement of the motor cycle exists than the fact that since 1907 the average speed of the winner of the senior race, has increased from 3S to 09 m.p.h. in spit of an increase in the length and difficulty of the course. The world's road ont-and-home bicycle competition record for 50 miles, held by R. Ford (Victoria), who covered the distance in 2hrs 7min 32see in October, 1923, had a close call recently. An English cyclist, F. W. Southall, starting from scratch in a 50 miles handicap race, put up (the fast time of 2hrs Rmin, or only 28 seconds outside Ford’s record. Attillio Oavalleri, riding a Rudge Whitworth, won the Fourth Italian Circuit by covering 2702 kilometres at an average speed of 52,257 kilometres per hour, the race being run in four stages between April 21-21. He also won first place in his class (500c.c.) and finished over five and a-quarter hours ahead of the next British motor cycle. His victory is ail the more remarkable by reason of the fact that he entered an ordinary 4.99 h.p. Rudge-Whit-worth ns a private owner, and did not receive any assistance from the manufacturers or their agents.