CYCLING AND MOTORING.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1916, Page 9

CYCLING AND MOTORING.

NEWS AND NOTES. Tim old saying, "the pioneer pays," Iras come true in connection witli the attempt to run an up-to-date motor-'buß ■service in .Melbourne. Although a comparatively -short period lias elapsed since a company with a nominal capital of £250,000 was incorporated in Melbourne to conduct motor omnibus services, financial troubles have already arisen, ami a winding-up application has been made in the Victorian Practice Court wit'h a view to determining whether the Melbourne General Motor-'-bus Co., Ltd., shall be wound up voluntarily, compulsorily, or under the supervision of the Court.

In a letter to the secretary of the Automobile Club of Victoria, an officer writes enthusiastically of the work the Australian motor men are doing in France. The A.N.Z.A.C. motor men* claim tho record in France, having loaded on to motor lorries supplies, including horse fodder, .for 22,000 men and horses in 33 minutes. During the week 400,000 shells daily were fired by the Allies in the section of front where the Australians are located. One of the waggons, with a sergeant, was .blown up by aa. enemy shell, and the crew of two escaped with wounds, from which they are recovering.

Some of the moat successful aircraft motors now being used at the front were developed, tested and worked out by mounting them in a racing motor-car, which enabled long and severe trials to be made under constant observation. This method, says the -Scientific American, is now being adopted by one of the prominent American motor-car manufacturers, which is building a very successful twelve cylinder automobile engine, and now, with a view to preparedness, is at work on developing designs for aircraft service. It is proposed to thoroughly compare engines with four, six, eight and twelve cylinders of equal piston displacement, and undoubtedly the data obtained will be of great value in developing new designs.

A year ago great things were expected of the armored motor-car in the European war, and it certainly made a good record for a while; but as -soon as both armies dug themselves in its usefulness was greatly discounted. Where armies arc engaged in active and rapid movements, not mere sonties from trenches, the armored car is of great value, but at present it is being little used in France. On the other hand, the ammunition and supply cars that have to go up to the front are now frequently ar-. moral, with advantage, although then: means of offence, or, rather, defence, is limited to the rifles of their guards. Now that the Germans are being pushed back from their elaborate trenches on the Western front, and the British cavalry are coming into operation, it should not be long before the armored oars get an opportunity of proving their worth.

Dario Resta, by his recent sucess in i the classic American motor track race at llndianopolis, easily won .€'2400. Resta went to the front after the forty-fifth 'mile and was never headed, the crack Italian driver carrying out the 300 miles in 3 hours S4min losec., giving an average of 81 miles per hour. The event was such- a good thing for the winner that the -Motor Age (Chicago) states that Resta won an endurance drive, not a speed contest. The race attracted 21 starters, but did not produce tho excitement of previous years, the absence of drivers of the calibre of Ralph De Palma, Gouax aud the late G. Boillot being greatly missed. Some 83,000 spectators paid to view the race. The piston displacement of the winning Peugeot (French) car is 274 cubic inches-, the tli■ mensions of the cylinders (four) being iboro 3.Gin, stroke G.Gin. The successful car had one of the smallest engines in the race.

It is astonishing the difference there is in the cost of motoring, much depending on tlie man at the wheel. The careful owner-driver gets results seldom achieved by the paid driver. As evidence of what can be accomplished in this- direction, a Victorian motorist, Mr. N. S. Cozens, has supplied some interesting and instructive figures. Driving an F.N. car (Belgian), Mr. Cozens covered 15/ KM) miles from February 1, 1»14, to July 1, 1915, the actual running cost being £134 18s Bd. Petrol, oil, grease, etc., cosit £7l 03 fid, averaging 1.333 d per mile, whilst the tyre up-keep was £32 2s, equal to .olid per mile. Repairs, overhauling, painting, etc., rail into .€3l 10s 2d, equal to Jsd per mile, totalling a cost o£ 2.144 d per .mile. The car weighed 2ocwt. Up to the end of March, 1010, the total distance travelled was 23,500 miles, the cost of tyres being £5!) 17s 3d, fuel, oil, etc., £lO7 10s 3d, £37 193 2d, the running cost being 2d per mile for the whole distance. The weekly average for the full period mentioned was 210 miles, at a, cost of £1 17s 4d per week. These figures go to show that motoring is not an expensive luxury when a car is driven with care and moderation.