Motordom

Southland Times, Issue 21662, 26 March 1932, Page 13

Motordom

News and

Notes.

OF GENERAL INTEREST ON THE ROAD AND ON THE WING. THE LATEST HAPPENINGS. Motor Cycle Prices. The news that lour of the largest manufacturers have found it necessary to raise their prices—however essential this may be from a financial aspect—will not be welcomed by motor cyclists, says our English motor correspondent. Fortunately, however, the increases are small and in no case exceed 5 per cent. It is stated that they are due to the probable curtailment of production schedules. A. V. ROE and Co. Ltd. The English mail brought two aeroplane photographs for the Motor Editor from this progressive concern. The photos concerned an Arcan which had just been supplied to the Air Service Training Ltd. This machine was fitted with an Armstrong Siddeley 5 cylinder Genet Major engine. Driving Championship. The driving championship of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association has been won by Louis Schneider, who was first in last year’s 500-mile race at Indianapolis. The championship is awarded for consistency during the racing season. Second in the list was Fred Frame, with Ralph Hepburn, Russell Snowberger, James Gleason, and “Shorty” Charlton next in order. Smuggling by Motor Vehicles. Professional smuggling by means of motor vehicles has assumed such proportions that the German Government has been forced to adopt particularly severe measures against it, especially in view of the fact that of late smugglers have frequently taken recourse to arms for. their defence against the police. There is, however, not the least danger of bona fide motorists being in any way molested if they stop immediately an official signals them. At night the officials carry red lanterns, with which they give the signals

by waving. After being allowed to pass such an official it is advisable to continue for some distance at a slow pace, for further up the road a wire cable may be stretched across the fairway—undoubtedly an effective, if dangerous, way of stopping the criminal. This, however, will generally be easy to see, and affixed to its centre is a red-bordered flag with five black spots and a number of “cat’s eyes,” Also, officials in civilian clothes may be met. These have a green armlet with a brass plate, which they will show on demand for identification purposes. The First English "500." There is no doubt whatever that the motor cycle most widely used in Europe is the 500 c.c. solo. There are always more 3J’s than other types in races and trials, and nowadays they are almost invariably of the o.h.v. pattern. It is interesting to note that in a booklet recent published by the British Cycle and Motor cycle Manufacturers and Traders Union—Early Days in the British Motor Cycle Industry—the credit for producing the first wholly English 500 c.c. motor cycle is given to the New Imperial Company. This machine was exhibited at the Stanley Show in 1901. It was the only motor cycle shown in an exhibition of pedal cycles and, as a matter of fact, only six were made, one of which was sold at the show, the others being used by members of the staff. The model had the engine mounted above the front wheel, which was driven by means of a belt. According to Mr Eric W. Walford M.1.A.E., the author of the book, one of these engines was being used as recently as five years ago for cutting chaff. About Traffic Signals. Motorists in regard to the giving of traffic signals, may be divided into three classes —-those who give clear signals in ample time, those who make a perfunctory and belated gesture, and the deliberately careless, who refuse to impart any information of their intended movements. The lastnamed class fully deserve any legal penalties which they may incur, because of their consistent disregard of traffic safety, but although the “last-minute” signaller may believe that he is complying with the duty imposed on him, he frequently is so tardy in holding out his hand to indicate his intention of stopping or turning that he becomes quite as dangerous as the driver who refuses to signal at all. If such persons would only be considerate enough to recollect that those in charge of following vehicles require reasonable warning of what the man ahead proposes to do many accidents and “close shaves” would be avoided. Road Sense. What was described by Detective J. Walsh as “a dissertation on road sense” was given by a witness in the Magistrate’s Court at Wanganui during the hearing of an inquest. The witness, in describing a man as a careful pedestrian, claimed that there were two classes of careful pedestrians. There was the ordinary careful man and the extraordinary careful man. By the former he meant a man who would hear the car sound the horn, but would give no sign that he took any notice of it or heard it. The extraordinary careful man would either look up at the car, step back, or stop. Counsel for the defence also had his ideas on the matter, and said that every child was taught that when it found itself in difficulties in crossing a road it should stand still and not move backwards or forwards until the traffic had passed. It was the first thing one learnt when arriving in London, he added. Cogsting. In the absence of a free wheel it is quite possible to enjoy some of its benefits on long hills, where the view ahead is unobstructed, and the grade such that there is little need for breaking. Coasting in neutral is an exhilarating method of driving, a saver of fuel and oil, and the re-engage-ment of gears at the end of the coast is quite a simple matter. It is essential that the engine should be running when an attempt is made to re-engage the gears, so it should not be shut off for coasting, but , idled at a speed fast enough to obviate any risk of it stalling. The secret of a quiet meshing of gears is to have the engine running at the speed corresponding with the car’s speed on the road. Accelerate it to

what is judged to be the correct speed, and do not declutch, but feel gently for top gear with the lever. The engine speed may then be varied slightly if necessary, and the gears can be meshed smoothly. Should the engine stop while coasting, it must be starter but it is a sad practice to coast with it stopped, as this would prevent the gears being picked up again quickly in the event of an emergency. On the Continent. The trend of motor car design on the Continent has kept aloof from such popular English fads as sliding roofs and fabric bodywork and to an observer recently in France it was particularly noticeable that these well-known marks of distinction on a British car were practically non-exist-ant. The use of chronium stripes and beading is no longer seen on smart cars, in fact it is being severely restricted, and even head-lamps are partly painted in one or other of the body colours, leaving only an inch-wide rim of the metal. The same may be said of the metal tyre covers which America introduced in a blaze of plating, and these when mounted on the wings look well when painted in contrasting colours, the lighter tone being used on the tread covers. Body lines are reacting from the severe straight design of a year ago, door panels are slightly curved, with just a hint of moulding along the waist. The roof is lowered as much as possible and the wings are fashioned with flowing artistic curves. Fabric is absolutely taboo. The limited vogue of a year ago, when violent contrasting colours were used—such as a black bonnet and a white body—has failed to make converts, and, although many are seen in the showrooms yet there are very few actually on the roads. There is an undoubted leaning towards brighter colours, but the bld standby blacks and blues are chosen for the cars that go into the depots for sale to the general public. Still, the great majority of special orders are for .brighter tints. 'The lower body lines may have been misleading to one, but it seemed that tracks and bodies are being widened. Another interesting feature was the large number of cars with washable covers to the upholstery.

A WORD IN SEASON SOME WINTER HINTS. USEFUL INFORMATION. This article, now that winter is drawing near, will be found especially interesting. It was written by “Splitpin” in the Riley Record. Now that winter is here once again with all its rigours, it behoves those of us who have the welfare of our cars (and ourselves too, for that matter) at heart, to attend to those various little details’ which may have been overlooked during the summer months. The car. like ourselves, is prone to develop little maladies from time to time particularly so in winter, when the conditions are more exacting. The following hints are penned in the hope that they may bring to the notice of various owners some little, job or other which has been, or may be, overlooked. Keen the Car Clean.

Two of the most deadly enemies of the motorist are damp and dirt. These two, working together, attack all those little nooks and corners which are not readily accessible and get overlooked more often than not. See to it, therefore, that all such spots are cleaned out frequently during the winter months when damp and dirt are most prevalent. Now—a few words regarding the cleaning. In the first place do not direct a powerful jet of water upon the highly polished portions of the coachwork—it will only drive particles of dirt into the cellulose, and in time, a dull and dirty surface will result which no amount of polishing will improve. The best way to remove dirt from the coachwork is to "flow” it off—that is to say, use a copious but gentle flow of water which will loosen the dirt and carry it away. A more powerful jet may be used for the under parts of the mud wings and exposed parts o£ ike cLassis where dirt is likely to get more thick and caked and where a high finish is not so essential. When the dirt has all been removed by the use of plenty of water, wipe over with a clean chamois leather and then polish up with a soft dry cloth. One of the

peculiarities of a cellulose finish is that the more that it is rubbed the higher the finish becomes, so do not be sparing with “elbow grease.”

Having ’achieved some degree of cleanliness as far as the outward and visible parts are concerned attention should be turned to those unseen parts of the chassis where mud is likely to accumulate, especially the small exposed moving parts. These must be thoroughly cleaned and the latter well oiled —oil not only fulfils the function of lubrication, but it helps considerably to exclude dirt and damp from the bearing surfaces. The Cooling System. The cooling system has a comparatively easy time during the winter months, at least as far as the cooling part of the business is concerned, but unless due precautions are taken, should a sharp frost occur, the water in the system will freeze and give rise to a cracked monobloc and/or radiator. There are several means of eliminating this trouble, one of the simplest being to fit a radiator muff to retain a portion of the heat generated during the day, and to drain all the water out of the cooling system before putting the car away at night. This is done by opening the tap at the bottom of the radiator. When refilling the engine in the morning, however, do not us? hot water to warm the engine, or there will once more be the possibility of a cracked water jacket. Marked contrast in temperature must at all costs be avoided, so if you desire to “un-gmn” the engine, commence filling with tepid water and gradually raise the temperature that way. Lamps and Batteries. One of the distinguishing features of the season under discussion, is the necessity for increased use of the electrical system. In addition to extra lighting the starter has to work hard in turning over a cold engine, and consequently makes heavy demands upon the battery. The batteries, therefore, should be kept in top-notch condition if they are to fulfil their duties satisfactorily. The electrolyte should be most carefully maintained at the correct level, viz.: 3-Bin to Jin above the top of the plates, and only distilled water used for “topping up.”

IN 1931 THE SPEED CONTESTS. MANY ACHIEVEMENTS. However disappointing a year 1931 may have been from many points of view, it brough a brilliant list of successes to British racing drivers. The seaon opened with Sir Malcolm Campbell’s marvellous run at Daytona in February, when he drove the Napier-Camp-bell Blue Bird at 246.154 m.p.h., faster than anyone had ever travelled on land before. In the speedboat world, Kaye Don took Lord Wakefield’s boat, Miss England 11, out to Buesnos Aires in April and there raised the water speed record set up by the late Sir Henry Segrave, by travelling at 103 m.p.h. This speed he later increased to 110.28 m.p±. on Lake Garda' in Northern Italy. The International speed boat contest for the Hamsworth Trophy at Detroit resulted in a further victory for Kaye Don and Miss England in the first heat, though the second heat was declared “no contest” and the Trophy remained in America. Light cars and baby cars were particularly successful in some of the year’s- most important events. The 1100 c.c. class of the great German Grand Prix race at the Neuerburg Ring was won by Dudley Froy on a Riley at nearly 60 m.pJi. against strong competition from 18 foreign cars.

Then C. S. Staniland’s 1100 c.c. class victory on a Riley in the Tourist Trophy race was won at a speed substantially faster than that of the winner in the 1500 c.c. division —namely 70.35 m.p.h.. Again the 500 mile race at Brooklands provided striking evidence of the light car’s speed capabilities, for C. R. Whitcroft, lapped consistently at 104 m.p.h. for the first half of the race, in spite of the fact that his car was not supercharged. The average speed of the winners was actually 118.39 m.p.h., put up by Jack Dunfee and Cyril Paul on a Bentley.

M. G. Midgets figured prominently throughout the year on road and track. In May the Double Twelve race at Brooklands was won by the Earl of March and C. S. Staniland, while in June Norman Black won the Irish Grand Prix itself and the Eireann Cup in the same race. Two months later, also with a Midget, Black won the Ulster T.T. for Great Britain.

I The battle for the baby car speed record waged vigorously. Early in the year, at Brooklands, G. E. T. "Eyston (M.G. Mid- ' get) raised the record to 97 m.p.h. Leon .Cushman then set up a new figure of 1100.67 m.p.h. in an Austin Seven. Four I days later Viscount Ridley, in a car of his own design, put the speed up to 104.56 m.p.h. Mrs Stewart (Austin), secured the five mile record by driving at 109.06 I m.p.h. Later Ernest Eldridge established a new record at 110.28 m.p.h. for five kilo- | Imetres on an M.G. and finally G. E. T.’ (Evston, with the same car, achieved 114.77 im.ph. for the distance. The fastest speed ever achieved on a I “baby” stands to his credit at the moment, but there is every probability that 1932 will not be old before this record and many others are attacked and raised to even more spectacular heights. MOTOR RACING A BRITISH GRAND PRIX? T.T. COURSE SUGGESTED. The abandonment of the Grand Prix races at Dublin this year has led to a suggestion by Mr Cecil Kimber, managing director of the M.G. Car Company, that the famous motor cycle T.T. course in the Isle of Man should bo used for a light car race next season. When the Manx authorities approached the R.A.C. with a view to the car Tourist Trophy race being held in the Isle of Man, it was not suggested that the motor cycle course should bo used. The reason for this was that it was felt that the stretch of road over Snaefell Mountain would be too narrow for a large number of competing cars of widely different speed capabilities.

Mr Kimber's suggestion is that there should be three separate races, just as there are three separate motor cycle races —the light-weight, junior and senior. Cars of up to 750, 1100 and 1500 c.c. would be eligible.

"In these three classes last year,” he says, “there were 17, 9 and three entries, respectively, in the Irish Grand Prix and 18, 6 and 7 in the T.T. Even if these numbers were doubled in individual races in the Isle of Man there would still be plenty of room on the 38 mile motor cycle circuit, which has been improved out of recognition since cars last raced on it in 1922. My idea is that the competitors should bo started at half-minute or minute intervals (according to the number of entries) as in the motor cycle races, the men who have proved the fastest in practice bring despatched first. “Here is an important point. There are few large British cars which can seriously challenge the best Continental racing cars. Therefore it is obviously absurd for us, as a country, to cater too much for big cars and, in effect, make our competitors a present of our premier awards. “Surely it would be better to create a series of races without handicap in those classes in which we, as a nation, are preeminent, i.e., the 750, the 1100 and the 1500 c.c., and foster these to our fullest extent. By doing this the national prestige would be enhanced. Our motor cycles have become pre-eminent throughout the world and there is. no reason why our small cars should not be likewise.” Interviewed on the subject, a member of the Manx Parliament said he thought the Isle of Man Government would welcome the proposed races.

"The Isle of Man is the cradle of British motor racing,” he continued, “and the motor cycle racing circuit is the finest in the world. With the system of starting used in the cycle races it would be perfectly suitable for car races and the 1300 feet mountain climb would provide a test found on no other course.” THE AKRON WORLD’S LARGEST AIRSHIP. ACCEPTED BY THE U.S. NAVY. Following a series of flights that tested successfully the speed, fuel consumption, control ability, rate of climb and various other important factors, acceptance of the U.S.S. Akron, the world’s largest airship, was announced recently by the United States Navy, and authorization given the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation for the construction of a sister ship, the ZRS-5. The commissioning of the U.S.S. Akron by the United States Navy consummated two years of construction work by Goodyear and a series of exhaustive tests. The final test was a 48-hour endurance flight over the central part of the United States, which was pronounced by Rear-Admiral George C. Day, president of the Navy Board of Inspection and Survey, as highly successful.From Lakehurst, the Akron will soon be sent on a number ol cruises with a view to further determine her capacities and breaking in of her crew for regular duty. These trips, some of which will be several thousand miles duration, will constitute the Akron’s ship cruise. Each naval vessel is given such a cruise before it starts work with a fleet. Construction work on the ZRS-5 has already been started. The ZRS-5 will cost the Navy £400,000, and is to be delivered by Goodyear within 15 months. The Akron cost the Navy more than twice as much because of the necessity of providing con- | struction facilities, doing a great deal of development work and training a working force. The new ship will probobly contain a number of new developments which construction experience with the Akron sug- j gested. The ZRS-5 will be the same size and gas capacity as the Akron—7Bs feet long, 135 feet in diameter and a gas capacity of 6,500,000 cubic feet. The ship will be inflated with the non-inflammable gas, helium. With the airship Akron in Lakehurst, engineers and workmen of the Goodyear- ' Zeppelin organization will be able to utilize | the mammoth dock on the outskirts of the I city, specially built for the first navy ship, for the construction of the ZRS-5. This dock, a mec'ca for more than 50,000 people each week during work on the Akron, is the largest building in the world without interior supports. It measures 1,175 feet long, 325 feet wide and 211 feet high, and is built in the shape of & hollow half-egg shell. Following construction of the second airship, Goodyear will probably start work on a still larger ship to be used for commercial trans-oceanic service. P. W. Litchfield, president of the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company, and the Goodyear-Zep-pelin Corporation, is also head of the organization which was formed some time ago to develop trans-oceanic air transportation. BRITISH MOTOR CYCLES As any filmgoer knows, the American Police forces have long used motor cycles for traffic control purposes and up to now machines built in the United States have invariably been preferred by the ‘(speed cops.” British makers of motor cycles have tried hard to get a footing in the States, but until recently their efforts have not rnet with much success. At last, however, come the news of an unusual American interest in British machines. A Californian police chief, last week, sent an enquiry to a prom-

inent British factory—the Ariel Company —asking for details of the firm’s new fourcylinded product, especially with regard to its suitability for police work. His enquiry particularly relates to the maximum speed and, as this is of primary importance, it is interesting to note that the maximum is very much greater than that of the most powerful police mount in America. Another indication of the State’s interest in British machines comes from a San Francisco dealer who, in a long letter to the Ariel Company, explains that he thinks the new product is likely to oust the American machine. Apparently the recent “Stevens” test has convinced even the sceptical Yankee! In response to these American enquiries the Ariel concern has built up a special four-cylinder model on lines as nearly as possible approaching the ideal in the States, Long upturned handlebars are used, folding footboards, a foot-controlled clutch and a large pan-seat saddle.