MOTOR-CAR GOES FORWARD

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1934, Page 10

MOTOR-CAR GOES FORWARD

400 TYPES AT OLYMPIA. THE FOOLPROOF VEHICLE. If progress can truly be measured by the rapidity with which luxuries become necessities motoring is the most progressive of all our industries. It is, anyway, the most demonstrative (says the Children’s Newspaper), for its products are for all the world to see. Few industries have advanced with such strides, firms competing with each other hourly, producing improvements and stimulating inventions so that it is difficult for the plain man to keep track of them. It is, perhaps, for this reason that many plain men rejoice when October comes round and they can rub shoulders for a few hours with the engineers and salesmen who know all there, is to know about the internal combustion engine and the complicated mechanism which make the modem car the most efficient thing in the world. The Exhibition at Olympia this year is as remarkable as its predecessors, and should give a glow of pride to every Englishman. OUR LOVE OF MOVEMENT. In the smallest and cheapest car are to be found those refinements of mechanism which a year or two ago seemed so remote and confined to the great £lOOO cars of the wealthy connoisseur. This year the organisers have realised that their visitors have a great bump of curiosity and that a love of movement is ingrained in their nature. They want to see the wheels go round, and this boylike passion is satisfied at Olympia. They are shown the mystery box and can see for themselves the inner workings of the free-wheel, simplified gears, and other mechanism whereby a drop of fluid distilled from oil formed millions of years ago will drive a wheel at tremendous speed. FEATURES OF THE NEW MODELS. The Motor Show has come to be the most famous automobile market, yet it confines itself solely to private cars, commercial transport vehicles having a separate exhibition of their own. To this year’s show more than 500 manufacturers have sent examples of their work, and under its roof over 400 types of cars are to be seen, ranging from 7 h.p. models to giants rated at 50 h.p. Even more than last year this Motor Show may be called a labour-saving exhibition, and a foolproof one at that. What is called the synchro-mesh gearbox has become a commonplace fitting, while the pre-selective gear-box has been adopted by several makers. The free-

wheel has come into its own and the vacuum clutch control has been widely adopted. More and more fuel tanks have been relegated to the rear of the car, a position of . greater safety. THE PERFECTED. DIESEL ENGINE. Many of the new models have the chassis frame placed crossways about the middle, while the greater use of rubber for cushioning and other purposes gives smoother running to the car. Both in their material and in other details the engines themselves show an advance on last year. The average car travels a greater distance each year, and the efforts of the makers seem to be concentrated on prolonging its life to meet this stress. A section of the show is devoted to the motor-caravan, a holiday vehicle which has been increasing in popularity. Those who like, to spend their leisure hours on the lakes, rivers, and broads have a part of the show set aside for them. Here again every purse is cater-

e ed for, from the tiny dinghy with its y outboard motor to the launch which will e carry a large party in comfort. These a engines, too, are a joy to see with their immense power concentrated in so tiny a weight of metal. The larger craft which dare the sea are fitted more and more with the Diesel type of engine e with-its cheaper fuel. So perfect has e this engine been made that there are r types light enough for motor-cruisers s which are only 30 feet long. Another 1 noticeable feature the yactsman and his - servants will appreciate is the increasi ing use of metals which do not tarnish, i the brass and copper which needed so - much polishing being used less and less. We have come to regard Olympia in t motor week as a symbol of the progressive energy of our race; indeed, our 5 only fear is that our engineers are mak- - ing their cars so beautiful and their driv- • ing so simple that; they are spoiling us.