THE MOTOR WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20042, 3 September 1920, Page 3

THE MOTOR WORLD.

[ NEWS AND NOTES. | (By "RADIATOR/') 'The annual meeting of the New Zealand Auto-Cycle' Union -was "held ia the I Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, on August' 27, whon the following officers j were ejected for the year:—President, Mr A. E. Davey j vice-presidents, Messrs W. Briesco, G. Torstonson and P. Stainton; secretary, Mr M. Oreighton (Hawera); treasurer, :vlr W. Spragg (Hawera); auditor, Mr M. Lynskoy (Hawora). The following dates were j allotted to clubs I'or tbe holding of I their meetings : ! October 23 —Daiiaevirlte. November J7 and February. 19—lUugitiki. Dcociubsr 27 and February S&—Pioneer (Chrisienureli). '. January 1 and 2—Poverty Bay. i January 22—Maiiaiva-tu. Aliirck 3—Nov.- Plymouth. Easter Saturdny a-rid Monday—Napier. It was decided to recommend the council of the union to hold a. New Zealand Tourists' Trophy trial, the same as took place in England' recently. The minimum aged limit of riders at race meetings was fixed at eightceu years. The a.6iliatioii. fee was raised from £2 2s to £4 4s. Mr P. R. Harman, secretary of the Pioneer Sports Club, represented Christchurch at the meeting. An expert carriage paiuter only can obtain the real " factory finish," but it is well to know how to do tbe work yourself. When the surface is in good condition, and it is desired merely to freshen the colours, cleaji off all dust, dirt, and grease with benaine or turpentine. Next sandpaper lightly to cut the- gloss, and then apply one or two coats of a good automobile finishing varnish. If it is desired to change the colour, first thoroughly clean off all foreign matter with sancfpaper, apply two coats of automobile enamel of the desired colour, and varnita. Many drivers raise, their engine hoods in hot weather, believing this will help keep the engine cool. At the same time, however, road dust aud dirt will more oasily get inside the cylinders, either through the carburettor or the crankcase breather pipe. And the resultant trouble is not worth the preventive step against overheating. The result of the Kuglish Tourist Trophy senior motor-cycle contest—tvheu the first four places were filled by single cylinder machines over very hilly Bud strenuous course—again emphasises the .remarkable efficiency of this type of engine. For absenco of trouble and adjustment the simplicity of the '"single" Ims much to recommend it, vnd no doubt its success in England's Blue "Riband motor-cycle- speed event nill do much to enhance tin;-popularity of,this type machine. In addition, to its advantages of simplicity there is the Question of economical running, an important matter in these days of high prices of fuel, etc. Somesurprise has ..boon expressed at the quick manner in which the Minerva, the well-known Belgium car, has been, replaced in the European market. As a- matter of fact th o 3finerva works got hack to production very shortly after the armistice was signed. An interesting story gives the reason of this extraordinary recovery. It appears that when the Germans entered Antwerp, amongst the workmen at the Minerva, works someone waH left who was familiar with most of the machines therein installed. Whenever the Germans took a machine away the information was sent to the managing director of Minervas, who was in Holland. Immediately another was ordered in America—not an exact replica, of the machine which had boon taken away, but the most up-to-date edition of its kind. This machinery was stored in the U.S.A., and thus a complete supply of new plant was accumulated there. It was a matter of some difficulty to rotain this plant, as machine tools "were m great throughout America at that time, but somehow or other it was managed, and the iirst boat >hat sailed from America after the armistice brought some of this now plant back. That is how the .Minerva works was reeqmppod for peace production—with machines that aro all of the latest type. -Figures showing the tremendous growth of the automobile industry in America during the last six years'havo recently been compiled by the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce of that country. Tho following table is instructive:— TJapita.l IJol, 191*. Dols., 1319. p.c! invested . 407,730,000 I.SOSiMJ.OOO 3-12 Motor vehicle I output . 36y,000 1,07'1,0G0 217 Value o{ products . 6J-:,B31,003 2,5C6,53t,000 29Q Persons employed . 3-13,000 €51,000 313 Wajes and salaries , 139,153,000 813,731,000 -(S3 Some idea of the present magnitude of the industry may be gathered from tho fact that last year the total exports of passenger cars represented only 4 per cent of the cars produced, and motor truck exports amounted to 4.9 per cent .of the output. It must be-borne in mind, too, that of this 4 per cent of exported passenger cars is spread over Europe and many other countries, including Australasia. So I Ui».t all the new American cars one | sees in this country represent considerably less than .1 per cent of America's | output. The actual number of pasi senger cars produced in I[/19 in tho j U.S.A. was 1,(557,65ii. It ijvould really seem that flying as a popular pastime aud method of transport may yet be brought within the roach of the private motorist of ordinary means. Aeroplanes, we know, can be produced at comparatively low | prices; tho £250 aeroplane has several i times been mooted in the English Press, and we should imagine that in the course o! : the next year or two a really practical machine could be put on the market at a figure of less than £SOO. One would have expected, however, that the running and maintenance expenses'' ol an aeroplane would have been excessively high, yet- recently a. Greencngineu 'plane llew from London to Turin, a distance of 650 mile*!, on twenty gallons of petrol. This warktt out to tho extraordinary figure of 82-} miles lo the gallon—which is much better than the 16 to 'Jo miles a gallon run by the average passenger motorcar. Tuli carburettor used was an ordinary standard car type. PLEASURES FOR WOTORISTB (Nearly every mail uowadays contains good news for motorists. To-day we learn that a. good stock of tho celebrated English Dinks three-jet Car. mirottors will be landed in Christchurcii about the 13th inst to tho order . of. Messrs Henderson and fordo, who have been appointed . sole -South . Island agents. Motorists have in tho past been subjected to considerable njconremencs iu obtaining JJinkt Carburet*

tors. Giving to there being no New Zealand stocks available; vet. such is the satisfactory experience of users that they have declined to have anything else, and hare cheerfully wailed until a “.Winks - ’ could be obtained. To these circumstances the news of tho establishment of Christchurch as a distrihuting centre is good news, indeed. Messrs Henderson and Fordo in'll sell direct to users, as well as supplying all the principle cycle and motor dealers t he inventor of the Binks carburetter, aiter years of cxpcrimeuWng and actual tests, has evolved a carburetter giving: (I) An easy start; (2) a tick round when starting; (3) a slow pull m traffic; jt) instant and violent acceleration; (5) great speed on level and uphill; (0) great mileage per gallon. Another satisfactory item is that a good shipment of the world-famed Pennsylvania Cup Tyres, the tyros with the comprehensive guarantee, will bo landed by Messrs Houdorsou and Fordo about the cud of the month. The- firm, which already handles quite a goodly volume of business, specialises in motor accessoiies. Address: 115, Worcester aroet. eastward from the Cathedral, and right opposite tbs Government ■Buildings. 1