NEW IDEAS FROM OLYMPIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18900, 22 December 1923, Page 2

NEW IDEAS FROM OLYMPIA

CRHISTCHURCH MOTORIST'S LETTER. Mr. R. M. McDonald, a well-known Christchurch motoring enthusiast, who is at present on a visit to the United Kingdom, sends Roadster the following interesting account of his observations at the British Olympia Motor Show, PUBLIC INTEREST IN SHOW. Writing under date November sth, Mr. Macdonald says: The motor show is a splendid display of cars and accessories, and the attendance of the public very large. On Friday 16,000 passed through the turnstiles, Saturday over 30,000 and on Monday, though the price was 5s as against 2s (id on the first two days, there must have been an attendance of 20,000. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are 5s days, and finally next Friday and Saturday will be 2s 6d. The Paris Show was more artistically arranged, both as to signs and general lay out, and it was also larger, but Olympia is much more international. This year the new hall and galleries have come into use, so the whole show is under one set of roofs. The catering arrangements are ample and good. FOfR WHEEL BRAKES. The outstanding feature is the large number of foreign cars with four wheel brakes—lS of the best and largest Continental cars are so fitted. There are no front brakes on Daimler, Napier or Rolls Royce—at the last moment the latter say that they are going to adopt the feature. Lanchester, Maudsley, Vauxhall, Sunbeam —New Star fit them. For U.S.A.. Packard, Buick and Oakland show four-wheel brakes. England perhaps excels in low horse-powered narrow tracked, roomy bodied and economical cars. These are suitable for the roads here, but perhaps not for the Dominion. ATTRACTIVE FOREIGN MAKES. [ The most attractive chassis to the j experts are perhaps Maudsley, Bentley, the new 21 Lanchester, the magnificent 2 6 F.1.A.T., Lota Franchesi, and some dozen other fine foreign cars. Maudsley is a mechanical gear; Bentley is a wonderful speed model with too little road clearance (a Christchurch doctor has bought .one). Lanchester and F.I.A.T. are new and beautiful designs. The* latter has carburetter magneto generator and starting