NEW MOTOR VEHICLE

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1929, Page 7

NEW MOTOR VEHICLE

SUITABLE FOR BACKBLOCKS

TESTS BY TEIE INDIA OFFICE.

London, Jan. 16.

After Sengthy experiments the India Office has devised a new type of sixwheel motor vehicle for tropical and roadless regions. It is expected that it will be posswle to adapt the design for commercial vehicles, and that it will be especially suitable for assistance in development work in Australia and South Africa. The improvements include the adoption of forward control, by which the driver is placed alongside the engine. This enables the floor space to be increased to 88 square feet. The motor is over 25 per cent, larger than the standard types. This increase is necessary to enable the carrying of an ordinary load of three tons when bulky goods, such as food, stores and fodder are transported. It has also been proved that’ lowpressure balloon tyres arc preferable, because they easily ride over sand and soft roads, in which high-pressure tyres sink. Furthermore, a new type 01 track can be attached to the balloon tyres, transforming the vehicle into a half-track machine, to allow it to pass over bogs and the worst types or sand.