CYCLE AND MOTOR NOTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 36, 25 January 1912, Page 8

CYCLE AND MOTOR NOTES.

The French Government has liecome alarmed at the success of the recent English motor show and its consequent effect on the French automobile trade. Owing to internal dissension between the various French automobile associations, the one time French motor show—the premier event of its kind in the world—was dropped, but the French Government has now decided that in the interests of the local motor trade, now a vital national industry, motor shows must bo held annually in France, and arrangements have already been made to hold a big national show in the Grand Palais, Paris, next October.

Few cyclists have any conception as to the popularity of the bicycle in countries like England and Franco, both of which are blessed with hue roads. In France there are now over i,100,000 cyclists registered, all of whom have to pay an annual tax of three francs (equivalent to about 2s sd). Last year the French Treasury was enriched to the extent of 0367,900 by the bicycle tax. Motor cycling is booming in America particularly, it seems, in regard to machines for business purposes. The American manufacturers are making a characteristically bold bid for popularity, and most of the leading firms, ncluding tho well-known makers of :hc. ‘lndian,” are marketing a 4 h.p. angle, magneto-driven, and embody- : ng all the latest improvements, >at 230 to £4O. With the inauguration )f this price-cutting campaign, promrations are being made for huge outnits, ono well-known factory basing is calculations on an output for 1012 if 18,000 machines. Tho principal irms all include a big 7 h.p. twin in :heir range of models, some for the irst time, although, of course, big fivins have always boon much more popular in America than in Europe. The past Olympia Show indicates that :he use of the big twin is dying out n England, except in conjunction vith the side-car; whereas there arc vpparently to be more “7’s” made in America this year than ever before. The lightweight is practically unknown there, and ho manufacturer ippears anxious to stop into the ireach in an attempt to popularise t. Big singles and big twins have he market to themselves in tho Tinted States, which is strange conidoring tho general bad state of the oads upon which, one would think, ho high-powered motor cycle was out 4 place. In England the small twin mgined motor cycle promises to play ;ii important part during the present year, for the wonderful per‘ormancos on this class of machine uive attracted considerable attention o this type of engine, which lends tself admirably to the adoption of /ariabl© gears and is just as fast is the big single cyclinder on hills, fhe position of the favourite type of mgine, tho 3} h.p. single cylinder, s going to he seriously challenged by he small twin during 1912, for the .dvantages of tho smoother running ype of engine certainly tend to more •njoyahle motor cycling.

The latest American files bring paricnlars of the annual motor contest or the Vanderbilt Cup, the premier no tor event of America. The conost was won by an American with n American car, the victor being R. .[ulford, driving a Lozier, who just ;ot homo by the smi’.ll margin of 12 nin llsoc from R. Dc Palma on a )9 h.p. Mercedes. The race was mid around a circuit of 17.14 miles, ’.•lnch had to bo negotiated 17 times, making a total of 291 miles, which lie winner covered in tho fast time 4 3hr sGmin, equal to an average •.peed of 74 miles an hour. Tho winning Lozier car was of smaller •orsepower than tho Mercedes that Hied second place. The race drew a remendous crowd, and was carried Through without serious accident. The American Grand Prix, hold over the jamo course but over a longer distance, was wone by I). 13. Brown on i Fiat, who drove 412 miles at the -ate of 74 ij miles an hour, wliich must >o very near record for a Ring (Usance motor race. Hcarno on a Benz mcl Do Palma (Mercedes) finished in 4ic.se places. Brown won the same wont in 1910.