Motoring Notes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 49, Issue 15049, 30 November 1923, Page 6

Motoring Notes.

THE SPAKE WHEEL. One of tlie most remarkable changes that is «hs«':»“Vse"4°" oi yieldid rTv« covers 8 Is coLparea svitl. those „£ pre-war times (says the hoodoo Field! Then it was a matter for con Satulation and boasting if a tyre covfr lasted 5000 miles; to-day it is a matter for dissatisfaction and complaint if that distance is not compassed. Indeed, 10 000 miles is no unusual distance, an as'puncturing also has become less fr.auent the point is being discussed whether the spare wheel, which has always been a triable to dispose satisfactorily «n°the car, cannot be left behind m the enrage. For our owu moto . rin S> e fhall°take no risks, for experience aas impressed on us the fact that i ? ne a „ tempts to dispense with an au^ I ' ] this kind the result will be an eaily ai d poignant regret. Luck always appears to ordain that when one has forgotten, mislaid or discarded pump or spare, occasion shall demand the missing article. The spare wheel goes far to unbalance a light car when carried on the running board, and in any event is a somewhat heavy stress if one be travelling o-ser bumpv roads—and that often is the best way to drive on them—so that there is a great temptation to drive without it. Those of us whose experience goes back to the stage when a spare wheel was an unthouglit-of convenience, and a spare cover was the onlv insurance against tyre failure which was fairly-frequent—are not likely to take any risks, for some ot those early experiences of tyre changes by.the roadside still remain vivid in memory. Those who carry spare wheels are free of much care concerning the condition of the roads; those who do not will be haunted by a perpetual fear lest an unperceived horse nail, or a vicious flint, lurk in every broken patch, and will compel an hour 's delay m changing tubes. If only for the peace of mind it secures, the spare wheel is still worth its weight and unsightliness.

Protecting Motorists’ Nnterests. As a rule, when a motorist figures in legal proceedings, it is in the capacity of the defendant, but a recent instance of a prosecution in England, supported bv the Automobile Association, shows that the war may on occasions be taken with advantage into the enemy’s camp. In this case a man iu charge of a herd of cattle refused to assist a motorist to get the beasts out of the way, with the result that he was delayed for about a quarter of an hour. A prosecution was instituted on the question of principle and in the general interests of the motoring public. The defence argued that the best way for a car to gelpast cattle is for the driver to go straight on, and not to seek the intervention of the drover in charge. The bench, however, took the view that this was a ease of wilful obstruction, and the defendant was convicted and fined. Similar prosecutions might with advantage be occasionally instituted in other countries, where, as in this ease, the motorist has an active central organisation working in his interests.

Touring in Europe. Some idea of the increased extent to which motor cars and motor cycles are being used for holiday tours, at homo and' abroad, can be obtained from the records of the Automobile Association for the summer of 1923. For May Ist to August 31st the A.A. received no less than 53,000 applications for touring routes, these covering a total mileage of about 32 million, or an average of two million miles a week. There have been a tremendous number of applications for routes for foreign tours, and a constant stream of A.A. members has been crossing to the continent of Europe equipped with international passes, triptiques, passports and routes supplied by the Association. Foreign touring has increased so much that motorists are advised to make early arrangements in order that the neeessary marine accommodation may be reserved for their vehicles.

True Economy. In the early clays of the commercial motor vehicle, motor ears built for private purposes were frequently designated ‘pleasure ears'-’ on the assumption that, while the trade vehicle was something in the nature of a necessity, the privately owned vehicle partook more of the nature of a luxury. With the passage of time, however, the term “pleasure car'” has become more and more inaccurate as a description, although, of course, there is far more pleasure in driving a modern car than the motorist of the old days could ever '-expect, unless he found pleasure in the execution of roadside repairs. The point is that nowadays the great majority of private motor cars are not used primarily as luxuries. By far the bigger proportion of them are employed by men who have their livings to make, and are used- 5 as a means of increasing the individual's output of work. The commercial traveller; for example, can, by the aid of a car, get through far more calls in a day then he was ever able to do when he had to depend upon railways. The agriculturist can supervise a far bigger acreage with greater efficiency. The business man can keep more important appointments with less fatigue, and so on. It is, _ therefore, clear that the -.old sharp distinction between tlie commercial vehicle and the pleasure vehicle no longer holds good, and it follows that the considerations which influence the purchase of tlie commercial vehicle should equally influence the purchase of the majority of private cars. In the sphere of the commercial vehicle it has always been admitted that British products are unsurpassed. The British commercial vehicle has put up finer records of durability, reliability and general running economy than has any one of its foreign coni-

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petitors. The same natural aptitudes lie behind the design of British motor cars for private use. If cars or their engines are to be bought by the cubic foot, the British industry may not appear always to give the best value, but if it is recognised that what is realL wanted is a practical vehicle that can be operated at low cost, and is thoroughly durable - and reliable, then the strength of the claims of the British industry will be appreciated. Even in the sphere of the light car, 1923 has provided evidence of reliability and suitability for use on bad roads that has never hitherto been forthcoming. The time must come when buyers throughout the world will realise that the right policy is not to purchase the largest and heaviest vehicle that can be got at a given price, even if its engine is correspondingly large and heavy. Extra chassis weight means extra tyre wear and extra fuel consumption, and the horse power of an engine cannot nowadays bo gauged berely by quoting its dimensions. The Britisher has learnt how to put great power into a small compass, and to develop it with small fuel consumption. Users of commercial vehicles have from the first recognised that they must judge not merely by first cost, but even more by a study of operating costs, and the sooner private buyers of motor vehicles adopt the same method, the more rapidly will it be possible for designs and manufacturers to approximate even more closely than they do today to the production of the perfect vehicle.

Hub of Motordom. The following facts and figures were collected by Mr E. M. Miller, statistician of the Mew lork Motional Bank of Commerce. If nothing else, they indicate that Canada and U.S.A. between them contain SS per cent of the registered motor vehicles of the world.

‘‘The simple facts as to the production and use of automobile vehicles in the United States and Canada are *o astounding that the attention not only of the business world, but of the general public as well, has been focused on them, and speculations as to the future of the automobile industry are a fruitful theme of discussion. From the standpoint of value of production, the industry is now third in the United States. More than 400,000 workers are directly dependent on it for a livelihood, while the number indirectly dependent on it is much greater. The relationship of this vast industry to the general well-being of the country is obviously very close, and a correct understanding of the problems connected with it is of vital importance in judging business trends in the two leading countries of North America. “There is no essential difference between the factors affecting the production and use of automotive vehicles in the United States and in Canada, but a brief examination of available data for the automotive Industry of the world reveals astonishing differences between the situation of these two and of other countries. At the beginning of 1923 there were about 14,500,000 registered' motor vehicles in the world, and the United States and Canada possessed 88 per cent of them. The proportion of the annual world output of automobiles and trucks produced jointly by the United States and Canada is probably even higher, for, together, they dominate the markets of most importing countries. “The manufacturing skill of American automobile manufacturers, and especially the development of mass production, and of consequent low costs, are among the greatest achievements of American industry, but large scale production is itself entirely dependent on basic factors, which lie much deeper. America has no monopoly on the mechanical and managerial skill requisite for mass production. Its development requires a heavy investment because of the great initial cost of the necessary mechanical equipment, and large-scale production lias prevailed in M T orth America because here is found the condition which makes it pay. There is a market for the output because the rich natural resources of North America, in relation to population, combined with the efficient organisation of American industry, have resulted in a productive ability on the- part of a large proportion of the working population far in excess of the minimum needs for the maintenance of life, and because the national income is widelv distributed.

Analysis of passenger ear ownership in the United States, as far as reliable data are available, discloses exactly the situtiou to be expected as a result of the economic history of the country, and of present conditions. Statistics have proved that the trend is towards tire lower-priced cars. While comparative data for 1919 and 1922 are not available, according to the United States census in 1921, S 8 per cent of all com,plete passenger cars and chassis were made to sell for less than 1500 dollars.