AN INTERESTING MOTOR TOUR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8874, 9 March 1907, Page 7

AN INTERESTING MOTOR TOUR.

— - — ■ --i Sir J. "Wilkinson, C.E.M., who is touring the world on his motor-car, is now in Christchurch, exploiting . the well-known original /Clement and Gladiator cars. He intends touring through the two islands, then spending about a month in Tasmania, and | three months in the rest of the A us- { tnalian States. He will subsequently j proceed to Java, Japan and India. Mr "Wilkinson wishes to draw the Attention of New Zealanders to the j wonderful performance of the Clement ' car in the Isle of Man Trophy Race j iv October last. To cover twenty- j four miles & gallon of petrol wan allow- j ed each car. Out of twenty-nine oars j the Clement came in fourth, with fifty-five- ounces of petrol left, which was considerably more than remained with the three other cars put together. This means that for a gallon of petrol a Clement could cover thirty miles. The actual petrol consumption of the first four cars was shown as follows :-*- First had left at end of race 21oz of petrol, second had left at end of race 150j5 of petrol, third had left at end of race 10$ oz of petrol, CLEMENT. fourth had left at end of race 550z oi petrol. The CLEMENT was essentially a TOURING CAR equipped with all necessary spares and appurtenances for a prolonged tour, being 5561 b heavier than the specially constructed winning car. Taking the petrol consumption into consideration, therefore, this car was an easy winner, and its success is the more striking ' when it is mentioned that a large number of the cars competing failed to cover the distance with the official allowance of petrol. Mr Wilkinson also wishes to remind the public that the Gladiator, for. which he is also sole agent in the countries mentioned, is the winner of no fewer than twenty-three first, second and third medals. Those desirous of seeing these cars can communicate with Mr Wilkinson, at Warner's Hotel, for the next three weeks. The cars on view are the 1907 design, with all the latest improvements. Each oar is fitted with four cylinders, cast separately^ and the electric and magneto ignition is all in one. Colonel W. J. Bosworth, chairman of the Automobile Association, London, writing in " The Car," says: — I am often asked by my friends why, when requiring a new car, I selected the Clement, arid my reply is as follows : — Because I drove a Clement car fifty thousand miles (a distance approximately equivalent to twice round the world) without the slightest mishap except a broken wheel, the consequence of severe impact with a spur-stone, occasioned by a bad side-slip. The last time I sat in her she went as well as ever she did, and showed a. clean pair of heels to a friend of mine who was driving a costly vehicle of very wellknown make and of considerably higher power ; moreover our relations terminated most satisfactorily, for I sold her exceedingly well. .On the principle then that "one thinks highly of the bridge that carried him over" I ordered another Clement. This is the deliberate opinion of one of the best-known English experts, based, as will be seen, on his own experience. 589

The French law treats the frog as if it were a fieh, and deolares all Celling for it by night to be poaching.