LOW CARS CRITICISED

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 355, 12 September 1933, Page 3

LOW CARS CRITICISED

Uncomfortable and Unsafe In a recent issue of the journal of the Society of Automotive Engineers (United States) a well-known American engineer declared that modern cars were built absurdly low, and I were, therefore, uncomfortable and unsafe, according to a eport in an overseas paper. Most persons, the report conitmies, consider that the lower centre of gravity of a car is the safer the car will bo, because it will be more difficult to capsize. But even with a high centre of gravity overturning is rare, the writer states, while extreme lowness tends to in- | crease liability to skid. Such cars are expensive to build, need heavy frames, have barely enough ground clearance, and are difficult to work under, while smaller crown wheels and housing are necessary, leading to more rapid rear axle gear wear. i The writer also characterised ordinary suspension as antiquated, and advocated three point rather than the present four point system of chassis suspension as a means toward achieving greater comfort. Other point, raised were the excessive balkiness of modern cars compared with their passenger capacity, j and the possibility of developing flat I opposed cylinder engines, which could ho placed under the body platform line.