MOTOR AND CYCLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1926, Page 15

MOTOR AND CYCLE.

OLYMPIC SHOW IN RETROSPECT. WAT THE PUBLIC WANTS. (By H. Bassae Buist.—Copyright.) Loudon, Nov. 4. The unprecedentedly large attendances at the Olympia Show are merely proof of the fact that the motor manufacturers of the world are bringing vehicles within the purse-range of a public which hitherto has been unable to afford them. This has not always been due to the fact that cars were not offered aj cheap enough prices, but because they were not offered in complete form at the prices at which they were listed. Therefore the buyer had to spend money in addition to the purchase sum. Moreover the comfort as well as the purse of .the purchaser is being considered. Take the problem of accommodation .tor the occupants of, let us suppose, ears costing £225, or less. Three or four years ago if the driver were not a small man he would find his legs ache after a short time. Now all this is changed. Within a year or eighteen mouths we found that cars coming with in this price range were offered with at least sufficient legroom for the driver. But that was achieved solely at the expense of the accommodation provided for the occupants of rear seats. Even so. bodies projected far behind the back axle. That, unfortunately, Is still a criticism that has . to be recorded concerning the vast majority of small fourseat ears. There are exceptions, and it ie gratifying to note that this year no less a constructor than Morris has changed over from three-quarter springs to half-elliptic rear springs, a measure eminently necessary in face of the increased range of performance and ac(ommodation of these ears, whereby roadworthiness becomes a very important factor. W HAT MATTERS ON THE ROAD. This change does not involve a greater expense, but merely follows a scheme which has long been exploited By the leading makers abroad. For the smaller and lower powered cars, unquestionably the balloon tyre has now proved itself a satisfactory type, and the majority of manufacturers who standardise it have at last mastered the principles of redesigning steering gear to enable such pneumatics to be used safely. Happily there are few now among those who standardise four wheel brakes who do not employ half-elliptic front springs. One must employ that form of suspension to enable the reaction forces of brake application to be taken up. Unfortunately, however, many who use half-elliptic springs to this end do not understand exactly where to set the axle, which should not be put at the mid-length of the spring,

but slightly nearer the front than the rear end, particularly if the wheel is small and the ear is capable of a lively performance. Such a constructor as Morris simply benefits at second-hand from firms such as Fiat which have gained their experience- by making very high powered, very light, very durable cars, such as have competed in the world’s blue riband international events. Citroen showed a four wheel brake, half-elliptic front sprung chassis, as well as still further exploitations of all-steel body schemes which are of great importance, incidentally, in connection with covered bodywork as offering a means of providing maximum visibility for tlje driver. Taking cars of all prices and powers as exhibited, undoubtedly coaehmakers still fail in the gross to appreciate the importance of fissuring the driver adequate visibility. VOGUES AND VISIBILITY. You ean always tell when the tide of fashion is within a year or two of turning, for motor vogues take all that time to materialise. I know at least a dozen examples, including alike the most expensive bespoke and the cheapest standardised covered eoaehwork, the design details of which reveal that the aim of the constructor has been to build as strong a framing as possible for the windows, windscreen and for the carriage of the roof, while employing the minimum of material. One observes skilful use of east aluminium, sometimes in forms akin to that df the routed sectioned wood used for aircraft construction, as by Daimler. Steel body construction offers great facilities in this connection, and it is being taken up by an increased number of responsible constructors. We also glimpse from this show that the employment of steel pressings is beginning to be exploited quite widely for purposes not hitherto generally attempted. Presently it will be extended to the designs of pillar and suchlike details in connection with covered coachwork, to the great saving of the apace occupied and of strength too. The fart is that this problem has not yet been seriously considered by the industry as a whole. But it will engage universal attention from now on, for public understanding is growing daily. One welcomes, too, the evidences that the V-type of windscreen, which ean be very dangerous in producing reflected light and so forth, is employed in some few examples in snch a restricted way as merely to provide a pleasing line from the eoaehwork without involving the risk of awkward reflections that may give the driver blind angles. Here and there, more particularly in the higher classes of eoaehwork one found designs providing something iu the nature of an overhang of the roof to produce a visorlike effect, such as the American industry has standardised for very sunny countries. A slight shade, too, offers the coaehmakcr opportunity to ge more pleasing lines. WINDSCREEN WIPERS. One. decs not yet observe mechanical

windscreen-wipers standardised in duplicate, so- that passengers behind the driver may have a line of vision during a journey through lain. This, however, is certain to be a general development of the near future. Again, through windscreen-wipers for the driver are standardised on even the cheapest cars, they are generally of a type wherein the air pressure is applied to one side only. When therefore you put down the accelerator pedal, as in hill-climbing, the wiper goes out of action for the time being. This can be avoided by fitting that form of windsereen-wiper. which provides air pressure on both sides. Better still is the somewhat more expensive construction, mechanically Iriven from the gear box, or by some other convenient means. There the electric windscreen wipers. But those are scarcely made cheap enough for the most popular types of -ears. More important still, especially in the range of 4 cylinder engined cars, is the furnishing of four speeds forward —a particularly necessary scheme for any firm anxious to do trade in our markets overseas. This has been recognised by Mr. W. R. Morris in introducing a 15.9 h.p., sGiu track, 9‘/ 2 ft wheelbase, 10% in minmimum ground clearance, 20 cwt car selling complete for £325 with overhead worm driver rear axle, four wheel brakes and halfelliptic springe fore and aft, this being his first really considerable attempt to attack the overseas market. ROAD COURTESY. Tlie following “fourteen points” of road courtesy have been compiled by a Toronto motor truck company: •‘Let us drive our cars as we would have others drive theirs. Let us not pretend, like Monte Christo, that the world and all its highways are ours and ours alone. Let us not drive wildly, endangering our own lives and the lives of others; nor lag along holding up a lint of cars behind us. Let us not pass another car on a curve, nor near the crest of a hill. Let ue not bog parking spaces; nor speed recklessly along main highways, refusing all right-of-way to drivers from cross roads. Let us dim bright lights for approaching care and keep to the right of the road on curves and straight-away. “Let us always use a friendly warning hand to signal the driver behind us, applying brakes slowly and evenly, and consider the comfort of those who ride with us as those driving behind us. Let us always yield an inch of highway and save a fender. Let us show ‘he greatest courtesy to railroad trains, allowing them the full right-of-way at crossings. Let us not roar along with open cutouts, nor’ line up traffic for a block while arguing with a police officer; nor sound the horn impatiently in traffic jams. “Let us not, when driving slowly, refuse to let .mother ear pass safely ahead of us; nor try to start a race with another car. Let us not frighten pedestrians with cither horn or speed lest wc be walking ourselves some time.”