MOTOR NOTES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16622, 14 April 1928, Page 9

MOTOR NOTES

WHERE THE CARS COME PROM. KEY TO THE NEW NUMBERS. Motorists who are curious to know what locality cars and motor cycles met on the road hail from can get a clue to this by comparing the figures on the number plates with those in the tables below. In these tables the allocation of the new season's numbers to the eighteen postal districts in the Dominion is given, and thus in a general way the region from which a enr comes is indicated by its number. In addition to the numbers given below there are separate series for dealers' cans, dealers' cycles, lorries, trailers, and tax-exempt road-making vehicles ("E" plates). For the latter it. is interesting to- note that the numbers allotted total 1100. The allotment of numbers is expected to suffice for ten months. As this year's plates will be worn for fourteen mouths, additional numbers wall probably be required in the latter' part of the period, and these will bo allotted as required, .so that numbers higher than those given below may be seen on the road later in the year. For the time being the position is that any ear with a number not above 94-600 hails from the North Island, and any car with a number above that comes from the South Island. In the old days, with 157 registration districts, it was, of eofirse, possible to pick the home town of any motorvehicle encountered on but now it is only possible to tell from which one of the ten postal districts in the North Island, and eight in the South Island, it. hails; The numbers allocated to the various postal districts are as under: — CAR NUMBERS.

MASS PRODUCTION". While -writers and. economists have discussed the economic effect of mass production, few, if- any have mentioned the stupendous part the automobile industry has played in perfecting mass production and the effect of th« automobile on economic and social life. In the main, mass production has come to mean low cost of motor vehicles, out of which grows universal use. The thing of more importance is what has come about in life as a result of this accomplishment. Suddenly, or even gradually, remove the automobile fromour economic structure and life would revert to the: basis of thirty years ago, and that to-day would mean povertv for the masses. The'automobile has very definitely takeri its place in the economic niche in spite of the early predictions that it was a fad. Much has been heard' of the saturation point, some saying it is already here. Even some financiers have, a. disposition to believe that the aut.oniobile industry has passed its' zenith. Men who think along this line forget that social and ..business life to-day depend on the automobile more than arty other single thing. No one would claim that there is no future for the railroad, yet as a carrier of goods and people the automobile is even more important; and through its revenues and purchases has become an index of business and taken on first importance as a trade barometer.

NEW MOTORING RECORDS. 24 HOURS AND 1000 MILES. LINA 3 MONTLHERY, Ecb. 15. Marendas. who, with the Englishmen Kaye,, Don, and Hawkes, and the English-woman Mrs Stewart, started out as a team yesterday afternoon in a special Merandns car to break the twenty-four hours' record, achieved their object. They also broke the records for the 1000 miles and 2000 kilometres and the time record for twelve hours. The run was officially controlled and timed, and the official figures will be published later. . Mr Gartfield, in a six-cylinder Renault car in July, 1026 on the Montlherv track, covered 2588 nulos 1070 yards in twenty-four hours at an average speed of 107.0 miles an hour. On the same occasion he covered the 1000 miles at the hourly speed of 108.3 miles and the 2000 kilometres at 107.55 miles.

USE OF GOVERNMENT OARS WEST AUSTRALIAN INNOVATION PERTH. March 27. ' Government motor cars now bear number plates twice the size of standard private ones, with big bine numbers on a white ground, and "W.A.. Govt.' above the numerals, showing their official origin. Ministerial cars have been exempted. It is understood that, excessive "so of some Government cars on private missions has led to the. innovation. .

FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE REVOLUTION IN DESIGN Front wheel drive cars have been prominent in important racing events, especially in America for two or three years past, and the Miller cars of- this description have some fine performances in track races and record attempts on the different tracks and courses of the United States. Jn England the -Alvis Company has experimented for some years with special front drive racers, with which C. M. Harvey has competed in a number international events, as well as the annual Shelsley Walsh Hill climb and other well-known contests. Now it is announced that the Alvis Company will standardise a front wheel driven sporting model, which, it is suggested, will be one of the forerunners of a revolution in design. The claim is made that evolution has now bronght the mechanism of the modern car to a pitch where it can be subordinate to the arrangement of the coachwork, and this has rendered it unnecessary to build a body to suit a chassis. Rather, the time is near when the coachbuilders will decide what type of body is best for them to standardise, and the chassis can be designed to suit. The application of front wheel drive will permit of a lower centre of gravity, and relatively greater stability, more comfortable .springing, and greater freedom on the driver's part to use rapid acceleration and powerful brakes on inferior roads. The adoption of front wheel drive will enable the whole body to bo set nearer the ground without sacrifice of speed or comfort. Mainly, this will be possible because the propeller shaft and massive back axle easing associated with the conventional drive will be abolished, and the floor of the body, not being required to provide space for these components to rise and fall, according to the roughness of the road, may be brought several inches lower.

The new front drive Alvis is described and illustrated in the Autocar, and is not unplcasing in appearance, although of course, dilierences from the conventional types are noticeable. The body is of the streamlined pointed tail type, best known in connection with the fourcylinder Alvis, and the racing Bugatti Eights in Sydney, but is a four-seater. The radiator mainly differs from the Alvis we know in Australia by being sloped backwards. There are no valances or running boards, as the floor of the car is no more than a foot from the ground. Independent wheel springing is incorporated and a supercharger can be fitted if required. The engine has four cylinders and is of 1496c.c. capacity (bore 68mm., stroke 103 mm.). It is new in design but incorporates standard crankshaft, connecting rods, and Valves. The crankshaft has three bearings. The overhead camshaft is enclosed in an aluminium cover, and the cams wipe over small pistons interposed above tiie upper ends of the valves to eliminate side thrust. The plate clutch and flywheel aro enclosed in a. bellhousing which makes the engine and four-speed gearbox into a unit. Integral with the gearbox is a casing containing the spiral bevel final drive and differential. On e&h side of this casing are the front wheel brake drums, and universal joinis for the short shalls which run out to enclosed universal joints for the front wheel hubs. Each front wheel has four quarter elliptic leaf springs, down the central axis of which passes the universally jointed shaft for driving the wheels' It is claimed that this front wheel drive and independent steering for'each front wheel entirely eliminates the possibility of wobble.

The frame is only nine inches from the ground, and in place of the backaxle there is a stiff cross brace with a tube, which has a bracket at each end carrying the butt end of a quarter' elliptic spring pointing t'ofwards? The thin end of the spring is shackled to the end of an arm or lover which swings about a very large trunnion bearing just below the anchorage for the butt end of the spring. Attached to the lever not far from the spring shackle is the rear wheel hub. Mechanically operated fourwheel brakes are fitted.

URGE PETROL TAX BRITISH A.A.'s PETITION REASONS SEATED The Automobile'Association of Great Britain is again asking its' 350,000 members and everybody else to sign a petition to Parliament for a potrol tai. Mr. W. R. Morris, when in Australia, said that be thought, it preferable to the present horsepower tax. Reasons given by the association for the necessity of this form of motor taxation are:— Payment' of a lump' sum tax .in advance presses hardly upon motorists of moderate means.

The keeping of reserve vehicles is now discouraged, as persons owning two cart, oiily otic of which in oh the road at a time, are compelled to pay full tax on' both cars.

Large numbers of secondhand cars which could be used are idle throu'rhout the country because of the liability to heavy taxation immediately they are tal-en into occasional use. The possibilities of the tax being evaded are remote, and that this is the only practical and sound basis for the taxation of motor-owners.

BLUE BIRD'S ENGINE Captain Campbell's record-breaking Napier Campbell car the Blue Bird has an engine which, although it develops 875 brake h.p. at 3300 revolutions a minute, weighs only 8351 b., or .9541 b. weight for each horse power developed. The 12 cvlinders have a bore each of 139.7m.m.'. and stroke of 130:2rn.m., Uncapacity of each cylinder being 1995.7 c.c. and of the engine 23.984 c.c. Oil consumption is stated as three gallons an hour, and that of fuel, 50 gnllons an hour. .. _ . ... .".

THE FLIVVER SPEAKS. v I've* carried yon many a lciifgiiO) . *£: I've stood all liight fit the rairi, I've gone till I've groaned with fatigue Yet Tnttled right on in my pain. . I fairly would come at your call, I galloped with joy to iriy duty, Yet now you say, ''Use is not all; Ho;,, no," there must also bo beauty." I've dono without clip grease and oil, I've run when for gas I was faint. 80 busy just doing your toil, I've had little time for to paint. I'm an angular thing, yes, I know; T know what my running-boards are, Go on, then, don't look at me so; Go gel vou a prettier car. When with her yon ramble and romp, I hope vou will quickly forget That trip* that we took in the swamp— Some cars would have left you there yet; I hope you won't have to remember How one poor, sick flivver once rose And served you a whole wild December With all her water pipes froze! —L.H.R, in the New York Times.

Auckland ' .. 1 to 24--800 Thames 24-M6! -to 28--800 Hfl.niilt.oii 28—801 to 39--GOO Gisborno 39 —(301 to 43--400 Napi ei43—401 to 52--800 Nov/ Plymouth. 52—801 to 61--600 Wan'ganui 61—601 to 68--200 Palmorston N,,. 08—201 to 77--700 Wellington 77—701 to 94--600 Blenheim o.j—iini to '00--500 Nelson .. .. 06-501 to 99--300 Wf'3t]iorf 09—801 to 99--900 Greymoutli 00—901 to 101--500 Christchure.h .. 101—501 to 122--400 Timirn .. 122—401 to 128--300 Oamar'n .. 128—301 to 130--700 Dnnedin 130—701 to 141--900 Invcrcargill 141—901 to 150--000 MOTOR-CYCLE NUMBERS. Auckland 1 to 4~ -200 Thames 4—201 to 4--900 Hamilton 4—901 to 6--600 Gisbcrrio 6—601 to 7--000 Xapicr 7—001 to 8--700 Mow Plymouth.. 8—701 to 11--000 Wfingariiii 11—001 to 12--600 Palmorston North i 12—601 to 14--400 ■Wellington 14—401 to 17--700 Blenheim 17—701 to 18--200 Nelson 18—201 to 10--000 Wost|>ort 10—001 to 19--100 Greyrnoulh 10 —mi to 19--500 Christehilrrh 19—501 to 25--300 Tim am 25—301 to 26--700 Oamaru 26—701 to 27--100 Dun od in 27—101 to 29--400 Invoreargill 29—401 to 31--000