HENRY FORD’S NEW ‘BABY’

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1932, Page 13 (Supplement)

HENRY FORD’S NEW ‘BABY’

WELL-KEPT • SECRET REVEALED. 1 (COMPETITOR FOR BRITISH CARS. ('London Motoring Correspondent.) The secret of Mr. Henry_ Ford’s new car is revealed at last, and it has taken many people, who claim to bo well-in-formed about these matters, by surprise. That the gigantic factory which is approaching completion at Dagenham on the Thames would give birth to a new model departing radically from current Ford practice was generally expected, but comparatively few people imagined that it would be a small car of the “baby” type. The most popular guess was that it would be, a new “six” or perhaps a new “eight.” ■Prophets, who favoured bhe eight-cyl-inder car obviously based their forecast on the popularity that such multicylinder types are achieving in the United States. They forgot the adaptability of Mr. Ford, who has gone a long way since that, famous declaration of his (if ever he did say any such thing) that he did not mind what colour purchasers of Ford cars fancied so long as it was black. In those days the Ford organisation encouraged the dissemination of jokes about the lord car. It was excellent publicity. But publicity methods have altered since those years, and selling a car—even a very cheap one i—is a serious matter. -It will be found, therefore, that when the new Ford car makes its appearance in the dealers showrooms it will be unaccompanied by a comical' anecdotage. What the Ford people are after is

istern, uncompromising competition in the small car markets, not only of Britain, but of Europe. As the days of miracles are past, the Ford Company cannot defy the laws of economics by producing a car that costs very much less to buy than other cars of the class aimed at, so the new Ford does not profess to break new ground.in this respect. In this connection, it may be asked, by the way, what has happened to the production plans of the Rover Scarab, which was to sell in Britain at less than £00? FULL 'FOUR-SEATER. In discussing the points of the new 8 h.p. Ford car, it ought perhaps to be stated at the outset that it is not a genuine ‘‘baby,” because it is slightly larger <th an'the existing British vehicles of 'this type. The four-cylinder engine is larger, as is also the overall length. The object is, of course, to give just that bit more room that differentiates the small car from the “baby” car. That little more, how much it is, especially ■when there is question of accommodating four people. At the same time, I see nothing in the specification of the new Ford car that makes me think it will do more than offer fair competition to the already well-established " British small Cars. As regards bodywork and general appearance, it' ought to be emphasised that it holds no suggestion of transatlantic origin—a statement that is perhaps unnecessary in these days when mass-produced British cars do not greatly differ in appearance from mass-pro-duced American cars.

’ The new. Ford naturally embodies the latest “selling points,” to be found on British aSnd American vehicles, including such features as a synchromesh silent second gear and “eddyfree” peak. Presumably the appearance of • the new model will not interfere with the continued production of the four-cylinder family size saloon which we all know. This line will, no doubt, be continued, for there is a definite place for it here and on the Continent, though the high tax of the larger-powered of the two types „of engines offered constitutes a handicap to the average British user. There are few motorists who do not love power and plenty of it, but a £24 tax is a definite deterrent to many, and it is ,to those that the new small Ford is primarily intended to make its appeal. COMPRESSION IGNITION ENGINE.

We are hearing, a good deal these days of compression, ignition engines, hut it is probably safe to say that to the average car-owner, who has no deep interest in the technicalities of his vehicle, the term “compression-ignition” conveys ■little except a new kind of engine that is as yet impracticable for motor-cars. Yet the subject is one that ought to interest every motorist, for it is recognised by all the authorities that, sooner or/,later, such an engim will be designed for use even in private cars. Why should the compression-ignition engine displace the internal combustion petrol engine as we know it? I am not among those who" hold that the petrol engine is doomed, but it is certainly .the case that a compression ignition engine, using heavy oil, has advantages that may in time render the petrol engine obsolete. The two principal points in its favour are that it can use noninflammable fuel, and that crude oil is much cheaper than petrol. To those who are interested in compression ignition engines, from the point of view of its future potentialities, the little volume on the subject, published by the Temple Press recently, may be recommended, for it tells all there is to tell about the. various systems. NOTHING NEW. Lest it should be imagined, however, that compression-ignition is a brandnew idea,, it may be as well to quote from the book the fact that the principle in somewhat different form is known to certain natives who use a home-made cylinder with a closely-fit-ting piston or plug. Tinder is placed at the base of the cylinder, and the plug is given a violent blow, when the air becomes sufficiently hot to set fire to the- tinder! It emphasises the truism that there is nothing new under the Bun.-' ■ Recently, the Sunbeam Motor Company placed at my disposal for a 300 'mile run one of its 16 h.p. coach-built saloons, and declared that I should have one of the least tiring motor journey? that I had ever experienced. For company’s sake I took a passenger with me and placed him in the rear compartiment, and at the end of -the journey we 'compared notes. For most of the way we exceeded 50 miles an hour, and over one favourable stretch the speedometer needle passed the 70 mark, but at the end of the journey we both had to admit that for sheer comfortable motoring this Sunbeam saloon could not be surpassed, even by cars costing more than its price of £095. BROKEN GLASS. BLEEDING FROM FACE. Broken glass is a serious menace in all road accidents. The face, particularly, is liable to -cuts from flying pieces, as it is not protected by clothing. The glass, having very sharp edges, inflicts incised cuts which bleed very freely. If, states a contributor to a motor journal, an artery has been severed the blood will spurt out, often to quite a considerable distance, with each beat of the heart. It will also be bright red in colour. Speed in stopping this kind of bleeding is imperative. Death, through loss of blood, may ensue within a few minutes.

Lay the patient on his back. In this position the heart bests slowest. If the face has been cut raise the head a little. This lessens the force of the -blood to the affected part. Remove any glass left in the wound, but do not probe for any you cannot see. The cut artery must be closed by pressing it against a nearby bone. Use the thumbs for this, but do not dig the nails into the patient’s flesh. Exert pressure at a convenient spot between the cut and heart. Bleeding from the neck can be stopped in this way: 'by pressing the carotid artery back against the spine. The thumbs should be adjacent to one 'another. The carotid artery can be found on each side of the windpipe, midway between the ear and the shoulder. To exert greater pressure with the thumbs, the hands may be placed round the back of the head.

Bleeding from the chin, lips, cheeks, and. the outside of the nose can best be stopped 'by pressing the facial artery. This can. be located in. the hollow of the lower jaw, about two fingers’ breadth in front, and on each side of the angle of the jaw. The temporal artery, just in front of the ear, if pressed, will stop bleeding from the forehead. i The services of a doctor are essential

in all cases, but, pending his arrival, the cut may be washed with an antiseptic solution,' such as iodine in cold water, and covered with a soft, dry dressing o white lint. If the cut is not so serious, however, and the bleeding can be stopped, the dressing may be padded with cottonwool and kept in position by means of a bandage. The patient can then be taken to a doctor. Pass the bandage across the forehead and round the head for a cut on the forehead. Be sure that the bandage is placed just below the widest part of the head, otherwise it will easily slip off. For Ather parts of the face strips of adhesive plaster can probably be employed more advantageously. If the cuts are very extensive a mask can be made out of lint and applied right over the face. Holes should be cut for the eyes and nose. Stimulating drinks, such as hot tea and coffee, should not be given until the bleeding has been definitely stopped, otherwise the increased action of the heart will bring on further bleeding. When, however, the bleeding has been finally stopped a stimulating drink, is desirable. Also, loosen all tight clothing on the patient, keep him warm and encourage sleep.

CLASSIFYING THE WHEELBASE. GUIDE TO PURCHASERS.

Owing to the British method of describing cars by their somewhat artificial horse-power rating, many motorists tend to lose sight of the fact that the wheelbase is by far the most useful guide to the size, weight and body space of an automobile. It is a pity that this invaluable dimension should be neglected, particularly in view of the fact that the modern tendency is to provide a choice of engines in chassis which otherwise are well-nigh identical. For example, we may take a number of medium-sized cars, all with a wheelbase of between 9ft, 6in. and 10ft., the ratings of which may vary, according to engine size, between limits as far apart as°l4 horse-power and 24. horse-power. The body and the general size of the car is practically the same in each case, yet people automatically tend to think of a 24 horse-power car as necessarily being much bigger than a 14 horse-pow-er car. Naturally the rating is useful as giving an idea of the size and power of the engine, but it should be limited to this purpose and should not be taken as a guide to car dimensions. Another advantage of getting to know the wheelbase is that it gives a good idea of the overall length of the ear, which is often very important when garage accommodation is limited. Similarly° although to a lesser degree, the track is a useful dimension to keep in mind,, as it is a measure, of the overall •width and also gives an idea of the internal dimensions of the coachwork. The wheelbase and tracks are invariably stated in the manufacturers’ specifications, and the following average figures will show they vary in the car types which are most popular nowadays. Commencing with the “baby” cars, which provide full scale seating for two people and emergency seating for additional passengers, it will be found that wheelbases vary between 6ft. 3in. and 7ft., while the track is usually 3|ft. or slightly less. These dimensions indicate the mininium size to which a motor-car can usefully be built. Next comes the new class of economy car in which fullscale four-seater coachwork is ingeniously fitted to a chassis of small dimensions, the minimum wheelbase employed being 7ft. 6in. and the maximum nearly Bft. Here, again, the track is usually limited to 3|ft. (Proceeding in order of size we come to a class which embraces the 10 horsepower four-cylinder models and small six-cylinder cars rated at about 12 horse-power. In each case the body--11 work is of much the same size, providing adequate room for four people, but capable of carrying five at a pinch. The wheelbases employed range from Bft. to 9ft., and the track is usually about 4ft. Naturally,' a six-cylinder engine is a few inches longer than the four-cylinder type, so that for the same body space the wheelbase of a “six” must be proportionately increased. Before going farther we may mention that the overall lengths of the cars we have described are usually found to be from 3ft. to 4Jft. longer than the wheelbase, while the overall width may be taken as being nearly Ift. greater than the track in almost all cases. We now come to a car class which provides somewhat roomier bodywork suitable for carrying three people in reasonable comfort on the rear seat. Here a great variety of engine powers is available ranging between limits of about 15 horse-power and 25 horsepower. The high-powered examples are naturally mostly of transatlantic origin, but there is a growing number of British cars rated as high as 20 horsepower which appeal to those who appreciate a power-weight ratio eufliciently to pay a heavier tax for this luxury. The wheelbase of this class of vehicle is between 94ft. and 10ft. and the track is usually the standard dimensions of 4ft. Bin.; there are, however, examples of the use of slightly narrower tracks.

Overall length may be anything from 4ft. to sjft. longer than the_ wheelbase, according to the space occupied by projections, such as bumpers, luggage grids, and spare wheels. The width, as in smaller cars, is usually about Ift. greater than the track.

Turning to' larger cars usually rated at oyer 24 horse-power, we find that the wheelbases range from 10ft. up to something in, the neighbourhood of 13 ft. for the very longest and most costly types. Generally speaking, to carry seven-seat-er coachwork with proper space for occasional seats a .wheelbase not shorter than 10ft. 6in. is necessary. In this class a 4ft. Bin. track was at one time universal, but nowadays, in order to provide still wider bodies, many makers are using tracks of sft., or even greater dimensions. The overall lengths of these cars are usually between 4Jft. and sJffc greater than the wheelbases, and the widths are from Ift. to 1 Jft. greater than the track. In conclusion, it may be mentioned that manufacturers try to use a’ moderate wheelbase and track for the reason that by so doing weight and cost are reduced. SCRAPPING OLD CARS. MOVEMENT IN FRANCE. Faced with the prospect of a decline in the demand for motor-cars, leaders of the French industry have evolved a scheme for the destruction oi ’vehicles ten years old or more. Details were explained at a meeting of a branch of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce at Perigueux recently. Members of the branch, which includes 12 departments in the centre of France, fully approved of the principle of a “car destruction fund.” It is proposed to make a small levy on every new motor-car, and with the money thus obtained to buy and scrap those vehicles which have reached what is considered the reasonable age-limit of 10 years. In this way, according to calculation, it will be possible to eliminate ?|,OOO cars annually, or 25 per cent, of’the number produced in France in a normal year.