TOURING TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1933, Page 15 (Supplement)

TOURING TOPICS

TRIUMPH OF BRITISH CARS.

■ INFLUENCE. ON CONTINENT. (By Our . Motoring Correspondent.) London, May 2. British cars are making tneir innuence felt'on the Continent with a vengeance. Not only are’they being exhibited at the leading shows overseas, ' but, ; what is more important, they are taking part increasingly in the great • internauonai competition of which the Alpine Trials and the : recently-run Italian 1000-Miie Race are . among the more outstanding They are not 6my taking part in these faces' but' gaining. premier awards, as witness the success of. Lord Howe’s team of Magnettes in the Italian event. . Small wonder then, that with: all these activities the figures.of exports of British cars overseas-are leaping up and up. I am told that the British manufacturers who export cars to foreign countries are not yet making a mint of money out of their'.enterprise,'- but the importance of tapping these markets now- is ’generally recognised, : and their reward will come later when conditions are more stable. The latest British triumph in the arduous 1000-Mile Race must take from the minds of foreign car purchasers the last shred of doubt as to the entire.suitability even of the smallest makes of British cars to stand up to -rough road conditions. It is interesting to note that the winning Magnettes were helped to success by an -essentially British invention, the self-changing gear which was made standard by Armstrohg-Siddeley five years agd, and is now fitted by ten■ British car manufacturers; The use of this gear in a race, when; speed in making frequent gear -changes is essential, deals another blow -at the convention that the. skilled driver, thinks simplified control is a pampering device intended only for the habitual 'gear-crasher. Both .in the Alpine Trials mid iri; the Italian 1000Miles. this device has fully justified itself. It was' designed by' -Major Wilson, who was responsible /for the original • tank, and. he/ and Sir . John- Siddeley have collaborated -in - developing it. • The Btotorist, who wants a self-changing gear as?a standard fitting is bound to buy a British car.■ /■ r.: ' ' TOURING ON THE CONTINENT. , It . is/ probable .that ■. the result of ’ the Italian lOOtLMile/Race, will give: a stimulus/ to touring, abroad on the .part of British , xpdtbrisjs. . 1 aril, told by the Automobile Association that already their applications for. foreign tours show ah increase of 60 per cent, and the tendency continues /to grow.. There was a time when a/fbreigh. tour -could' only be undertaken/'after the most careful preparation; To begin ’’with, nobody attempted a foreign -.tour in any ..but an expensive, car. Rolls-Royce and the Riviera were almost synonyms. Even then you took with' you Spares. of all descriptions, and other impediments. suggesting ■ tHat you: were about' to go to the’ uninhabited, ends ’ of the earth.

.Blit . nowadays any modern car, provided " it' is Of a reputable make : and in good- mechanical condition, will, undertake the; .'task lightly, . and / without an undue- number■ of .’sjlares; One, makes no more /fuss of. a Continental -tour than one. does .of. a tour of the Scottish Highlands. . It is not even necessary to confine o neself to the usual, run of Continental countries—' France, Germany, Belgium, .Switzerland; Italy.. There , is always new ground to break. The Scandinavian; counties, for instance, and Egypt. . ‘ ■ How -quickly motorists are ready to take advantage of new- touring grounds if. someone has blazed, the trail before them, is shown by the fact t that the Egyptian." Touring Association has received numerous applications for North: African itineraries • following. on the recent successful exploit of the Hillman “Wizard” and caravan' in travelling from Tunis to Egypt via Tripolitania. Hitherto, this has been considered, an impracticable route, between Egypt and Europe, but, now that it has been shown that a good car, f even - with a.caravan, can get through ; easily, it .is likely that the. North African itinerary. Will .make an increasing, appeal, to motorists who like to . get. away 'from the ordinary touring grounds. • " NEW GROUND/■ • I believe the Egyptian Government are being urged to construct a proper road along the Mediterranean littoral to link up with the Cirenaican frontier, in view of the road construction , which 'is being pushed forward throughout' Tripolitania. Incidentally,.a.comprehensive report has been prepared by the. members of the recent Hillman. expedition, and. copies are available to all who write to the Hillman Motor Car Co., Coventry. . Motorists contemplating a: tour in Europe, -cannot .do better than . place themselves: in the. hands: of one of the large motoring organisations who will simplify . everything- for; them—from furnishing them with the necessary Customs documents to' giving them detailed itineraries: ;ior.:ev<?ry.: country they . want to/ visit.: / 1,, myself, have .found very useful, during: a Continental tour, a copy of. the/ publication known as “Europa Touring/’ i :The . Automobile Association has-'just announced the eighth edition of this : book, which ' may be . obtained by A.A. members at preferential rates.. It contains' information concerning twentythree European countries, the three hundred pages of . text. ..and .. two ' hundred maps arid- plans giving the Continental traveller-an opportunity to carry in, one volume' practically all he need know of any particular.territory. " The maps show roads in three . classes, and towns are; classified: by the number of : inhabitants..' Lakes, rivers, passes and railways carrying motor-bars are clearly defined. The text is in three languages— English, French, and German, ’ and it covers passport regulations, taxes; insurance, speed regulations, notes on the best time .to :travel,’ roads, countries and their peoples, arid place of interest. But while 'the fascinations of Continental touring’are undoubted, it is a pastime to be undertaken, only after one’s, own country has been first explored.: My suggestion .to all British ipotorists ’is . that- they should . devote several seasons to ‘finding out the beauties of Britain. before attempting to explore the Continent. If they like to take their cars across water, let it be to. some of. the Scottish islands, to Ireland, and to the Isle of Wight. The last-mentioned ’ island will well repay, a Visit from those who have, nbt yet enjoyed its special garden-like charm. They will find an admirable motor-car ferry service run by the Southern Railway from Portsmouth to Fishbourne. You can sit 7 in your car, all. the time and enjoy the journey across the narrow channel. ;

While mbtorists have taken well to the automatic traffic signals erected in all the large towns and even in some smaller ones where their need is not so obvious, the increasing use of these signals has thrown a new responsibility on them. Over-shooting the red light has almost become an addition to the nine cardinal sins, yet in some instances no warding at all is given that this type of signal is in use, or the “dumiriy” is so .inconspicuously placed that it is not noticed.

Not only must the driver carry out his own obligations in respect of the traffic signals, but he has to maintain a special guard in' case some pedestrian, who does not feel himself bound at all By the traffic lights, should come to a decision to cross the road just at the moment when the amber light changes to. green.