OF GENERAL INTEREST.

Southland Times, Issue 21073, 3 May 1930, Page 16

OF GENERAL INTEREST.

The total value of motor vehicle production in the U.S.A, during 1929 is stated to be £700,000,000. June 16, 18 and 20, have been selected as the dates for the International A.C.U.T.T. races in the Isle of Man. The net earnings of General Motors Corporation for 1929 was 248,000,000 dollars which compares with 276,000,000 dollars in 1928. Mr Philip Snowden states that the approximate net amount of revenue from the McKenna and safeguarding duties during the year ended December 31, 1929, was £12,529,000. Rolls-Royce “Phantom II.” Its braking, its steering, its road-holding, its springing, its absolute obedience (one could almost call it servility) are a triumph of the mechanical art.—The Tatler. At the recently held Monto Carlo Rally a Weymann bodied Sunbeam was awarded the Grand Prix d’Honneur and a gold medal in the Concours de Confort. German motor car exports are still on the increase. In 1929 the figures were 4,809 compared with 4,578 for the previous years. Total value increased from £1,330,000 to £1,615,000. A new “100 m.p.h.” British car of 40-260 h.p. and which has a 9* litre engine will shortly be available. The new production which will be known as the Hatton-McEvoy is being manufactured by two young motor engineers. This year the Brooklands Trophy will be a hand made reproduction of the original silver tankard, engraved with the royal arms and initials of Charles 11, bearing the London hall-mark of 1677. Mr S. A. Cheney a motor agent in Melbourne states that there is an assured field for British cars in Australia. He adds that British cars produced to conform with Australian conditions and requirements have all found a ready sale. Kaye Don has received a cable from the Auckland Automobile Association pointing out the possibilities of the Ninety-Mile Beach for his attempt on the world’s land speed record. The International Aeronautical Federation has officially recognized 85 world’s air records. Of these Germany claims 33, France 22, United States 17, Britain 8, Switzerland 3, and Italy and Czecho-Slo-vakia one each. Definite notification has been received from the Royal Automobile Club that “Wizard” Smith’s attempt to lower the world’s 10-mile land speed record has not been given official recognition, as it was not run under the required conditions, which call for an electric timing apparatus accurate to 1-100 second, and also for the run to be made over both directions. Experts state that the fight between the rubber-tyred wheel and the wheel designed to run on rails will probably be won by the latter for two reasons. In the first place the population of the earth will undoubtedly increase so greatly that there will be no space left available for plantations, every possible acre of ground being required for food producing purposes. Secondly, the future development of light alloys will make the production of rails and metal wheels on a large scale a comparatively easy matter.