ALCOHOL PETROL FUEL

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1934, Page 15 (Supplement)

ALCOHOL PETROL FUEL

PLACED ON ENGLISH MARKET.

ADVANTAGES OUTLINED.

(By Our Motoring Correspondent.) London, Feb. 1.

It is interesting news that an agreement has been arrived at between the Distillers Company and the motor fuel company who market a certain motor spirit, for the production of a new fuel which is to be a blend both of alcohol and petrol. Of course, there is nothing new about blending one spirit with another—benzole mixture furnishes a case in point—and there is even nothing new about blending ordinary petrol with alcohol, for such fuels are often used by racing drivers.

But the new alcohol-petrol blend •is the first to be placed on the market as an ordinary fuel “from the pump” at a price which competes with ordinary No. 1 spirit. When Ethyl fuel with its distinctive red . colour and its supposedly evil reputation—which was entirely vindicated of course—came on the market, I filled my tank with it and came back after a day’s motoring no less cheerful than when I had set out. I found it an excellent fuel which certainly did neither me nor my engine any harm- And who, having tried a fuel with lead in it, will hesitate to try a fuel containing alcohol—a much more interesting ingredient? SOURCES OF ALCOHOL. Meanwhile I ought, perhaps, to indicate what are the claims made for the new alcohol-petrol fuel. At the inaugural luncheon it was. indicated that the purpose is neither to supplant petroleum spirit nor to subsidise the farming industry. It may be asked where the farming industry comes in, and here it i£ necessary to explain that alcohol for distilling and brewing purposes is, in this country, largely made from grain. Having regard to the tremendous consumption of motor fuel in Britain it might be imagined that here is a ready method of lifting the agricultural industry out of its slough of depression for ever, or at least until the internal-com-bustion engine; is replaced by some other prime mover, But the conversion of fields of golden grain into motor fuel is apparently not looked upon as a practicable proposition by those who are responsible for the new fuel. Even potatoes which can also be made to produce alcohol are ruled put, because a ton of potatoes produces only 20 gallons of fuel.

The new fuel is to be made from “Empire products.” In a large number of countries the Governments compel the lieges to use alcohol-petrol because it helps the agricultural industry which furnishes sugar beet, Indian corn and molasses. In Germany alcohol has been used as a fuel for many years, and wherever it is used it fulfils it? purpose admirably. So the new fuel is nothing to be nervous about.

CLAIMS FOR . NEW FUEL. As to the. claims made for it, I can only repeat what I have been told by the sponsors. They assert that the addition of alcohol to motor spirit makes a fuel suitable for high compression engines, and that the special advantage of their new fuel is that the anti-knock value can be directly adjusted to the compression ratio of the engine, thus enabling mote "br manufacturers to get a bigger po’ output from a given size of engine, or, alternatively, to xise a smaller engine with a smaller fuel consumption. To sum up, it is claimed on behalf of the new fuel that it will give more power, more mileage and smoother running. But, of course, they all say that, and it is Up to the motorist-himself to determine by experience how far the claims of any new fuel are justified.

TARGA FLORIO CLASSIC SICILIAN RACE ABANDONED. Because of a lack of entries the famous Targa Florio race, which is held yearly in Sicily, has been abandoned. The Targa Florio was raced over a breath-taking mountain circuit, and at one time attracted some of the finest and most daring of European drivers. It was rightly looked upon as one of the most hazardous and spectacular fixtures of the motoring calendar. Many of the most eminent Italian drivers have given amazing exhibitions of skill in it under most perilous conditions, and it is to be regretted that at 1 a time when searching motor contests of this sort are exciting such world-wide interest one of the most notable events of the year should have to lapse. LIGHTING LAWS DISREGARDED PRACTICE NOTABLE AT PRESENT. “A serious disregard of the lighting laws in their relation to vehicles is noteworthy at the present time,” says the latest safety first message of the Canterbury Automobile Association. “The shortened period of daylight has brought its seasonal crop of offenders against the lighting laws. Perhaps there are no more such offenders than usual, but they are abroad earlier in the evening, it seems, and the earlier fall of darkness seems to accentuate' the incidence of the no-light cyclist, the unlighted horse-drawn vehicle, and the motorvehicle with headlights which do not conform to the national regulations. The cyclist who has not worried himself over the summer period about providing a protective and guiding lamp for his homeward ride at the end of the day’s work, is not heeding the earlier darkness of these days, and that action is likely to lead him to trouble. It is no excuse for anyone that he left his cycle or cart lamp at home and thought that his journey could be accomplished before dark. The law says that vehicles must have lights, and excuses are likely to fall on unsympathetic magisterial ears. “There seems to be very many motorcars about at nights with only one effective headlight. The law demands two. Some of these single lights are on the left hand side of a motor-vehicle, a highly dangerous position, particularly in narrow roadways, as opposing traffic may be misled as to the width of the vehicle. On a wet night it is quite a simple matter to mistake a one-headlight car for a motor-cycle, and allow less clearance; for passing.

“It is the duty of all vehicle users to know the local or national lighting laws and apply them always. It is only by the fullest co-operation of all road users that maximum safety can be attained.”