Motor Vehicles.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 8, 1 June 1906, Page 206

Motor Vehicles.

By J. D. Siddeley,

It is only recently that automobiles have demonstrated that they can m certain directions successfully compete with horse-drawn vehicles. Naturally, some types of vehicle have proved partially unsuccessful, and experience has shown where various improvements can be made in all existing types. The many hours during which motor omnibuses are kept in commission day by day have shown up little defects in the machinery which would never have been found by running pleasure cars. Unfortunately, both for omnibuses and commercial vehicles generally, the public, buyers and users alike, have been educated to an inflated idea of the horse power and capacities of petrol engines, with the consequence that performances have been expected that, to say the least,

are impracticable. It is not to be supposed that any machinery can run 20 hours per day, under the worst possible conditions, for seven days per week, with very inadequate supervision, without having stoppages for minor failures in necessarily delicate parts of the machinery, causing delay to passengers, and tending to develop the feeling that motor vehicles are " unreliable ;" whereas with sufficient and systematic overhauling and Supervision, the majority, if not all, of these annoymg stops for petty adjustments could be avoided.