THE MOTOR SHOW.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 28 November 1930, Page 5

THE MOTOR SHOW.

BRITAIN LEADS AT OLYMPIA. i SOME OF THE NOVELTIES. easier gears. O*OK OCT* ow* COJUUISPO TOIH*.) v .... LONDON, October 17. Exhibits estimated in value at more itf * 2 ' 000 > 000 «• to be seen at the Motor Show at Olympia, which opened yesterday.

'ive hundred and nine models, of the oars of all nations are displayed. Briam has 292—0f 31 different makes. Franco comes next with 91—of 18 varieties, and the United States third with 69 from 17 firms. Italy contributes 36 from five firms, Belgium 10 from two firms; Austria six from one, Germany four from one, and Spain a single model. The cheapest car in the show is priced at a little more than £100; the most expensive at £3200. A young American, it may be mentioned, has one in London of a pattern exactly similar to this £3200 ear, and its power and speed have already tempted him to offend against the traffic laws. The enlargement of Olympia by the addition of the Empire Hall has made it possible to bring in motor-boats again. They are representative and numerous, and in these days of speedboats they attract a large number of prospective buvers. The lowest priced outboard model can be obtained for £SO; the costliest ca*bin cruiser is over £3OOO.

Great interest was shown by the publie in the 50-h.p. twelve-cylinder Daimler, as this is the chassis of which the King and Queen have ordered five recently, and also because of its "fluid fly-wheel" hydraulic clutch and proselective self-changing silent four-speed gearbox. Shown with handsome limousine coachwork, it costs £2625. Sixteen-Cylinder Car. Though England is well represented by the new eight-litre Bentley, the Daimler, and the Rolls-Royce in the big car class, all the other nations have sent their biggest cars. Thus, the new sixteen-cylinder 57.5 b.p. Cadillac is exhibited with its two banks of eight cylinders set at an angle to each other. The £IOO car, in spite of rumours, i» not yet, but the "babies," roomier and smarter than ever, are getting close to that figure. There are the new six-, cylinder babies round about £2OO. family cars of 15 to 30 h.p. and also six-cyiindered are to be had for less than £250, with cosy, wellupholstered saloon bodies, sunshine roofs, stainless fittings, safety glass, bumpers, and everything one can think of. A few years ago half these things had not been dreamed of, and the rest one would have had to pay for as extras. There is a six-cylinder car priced at £226 which, taking into tion its lavish furnishings, would bare cost round about £IOOO only a very few years ago. There are no fewer than 300 sixcylinder cars on view, compared with 104 of the 'four-cylinder type. Of eight-cylinder cars there are eighty-eight, and these range in price from as low as £355. The United Stateß leads in the number of eight-cylinder exhibits, but the least expensive of this type is a British vehicle. Brighter Colours. Owing to the decline in popularity of the fabric body, with its dull finish, polish and brilliant colours are more in evidence this year. Pressed steel for body work has come largely into use and this means the beginning in this country of an important new industry. Motorists of to-day take more pride in the appearance of their cars than they used to do. The fabrio body is easily washed, and certain shades of it probable show the dirt less than any metal-panelled body of any colour. But no amount of washing and polishing will make fabric look aa Bmart as the man —and more particularly the woman—of to-day thinks a car body should look. The permanent glitter of untarnishable plating, now universally employed. has been another factor in the regained popularity of highly polished bodies of metal panelling.

Lower Windows. Designers are also breaking away from the fashion of continuing the higji bonnet and scuttle line into the Waistline of the' body, so that the windows stop at about the chin level of the driver. Several exceedingly attractive bodies have big windows which start six or eight inches lower than the scuttle-line of the car. The fashion of "tumble-in" sides and back is stronger than ever. The slight inward slope not only improves appearance without appreciably decreasing the space witnin, but has the very real advantage, as far as the back is concerned, of preventing the driver being dazzled by lights shining through the rear window, in cases in which the windscreen is vertical. Great attention is being paid to the appearance of mudguards and running boards, and also to the fitting of valanoes over the front dumb-irons, which aids the impressive effect of the high, narrow radiators and big headlamps that are overwhelmingly popular. The best move towards greater driving comfort is the tendency _ to rake the steering wheel at a bigger angle, and to bring it closer up to the driver's chest. The big, thin-rimmed wheel is as popular as ever. The best move towards greater riding comfort, in addition to the increased head-room, is the general improvement in shockabsorber systems fitted. Oear-Boxes. Greater attention is being paid to the gear-box, and the general tendency now is to provide a four-speed box with What is known as a silent or quiet third speed, and easy changes of gear between third and top, and top and third. This, by encouraging drivers to use their change speed more, ensures better results from the engines. There are a number of names for this gear-box, such as "twin-top," "alternative-top," traffic top." 3Troe-wheel devices have not been followed up as might well have been expected, but there is a notable instance of the latest form which is incorporated

in the gear-box. The driver can coast at will on top and second —the gear•'°X i° three-speed type—and just below the steering wheel there is a control by which the free-wheel can be locked. . •^- n < °ther transmission invention which is being offered in 1931 in standard productions is a multirange gear-box, which gives six forward speed and two reverse and includes two silent tops. The alternative gear unit is immediately in front of the three speeds and there is no auxiliary gearing outside the main box. Dog clutches are used for the engagement of the alternative gear. Gear selection is made by the depression or partial vacuum m the engine induction manifold. The main idea of this multirange gear-box is not so much to increase highest speed, but rather to enable the transmission ratio to be adapted to varying road conditions, and to reduce the engine rate even when driving at the greatest vehicle speed. Luxurious caravan trailers, with ingenious devices for comfort and conservation of space, may be had for such prices as £245, while less expensive ones are priced at £lB5, £172, £155, £lO5, and £9B.

One of the most interesting exhibits in the show is the collection of early models, which demonstrate what" a distance we have travelled since those 18110 t.p. Cadillac, of 19 ®5> » ot 1905, and Oldsmobile of 1903, « Minervette of 1902. a Star Dogcart of 1898, with a Si h.p. engine, and single-cylinder, and the first British car aver built. That was in the large wheels fitted , D " nlo P tyre"- The Daimler of 1899 built for King Edward has solid tyres on the rear wheels, and a body built on the lines of a four-wheel watr-