"THE MOTOR."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1398, 26 March 1912, Page 3

"THE MOTOR."

(By Amphivs.) Reliability Trials. In tho recent reliability trials held by (lie Canterbury. Automobile Association Miinc excellent performances were put- up. Tho weather wa« fine, (hough somewhat windy, and tii« roads were, mainly good. The first day's run ended at Ilanmcr, where Hie ears put up for tho night, 'rivi) lii-sal eaiw ucrn broualit to a halt in the (ir-t day. both on account cJ' overheating. Jt was explained later by the flffent of • hr-j-e two ears that tho overheating was ilue to an extra water tank, which the agents had attached, on their own accnuni, calculating thereby to pet a belter circulation. As was proved, bo\ve.ver, the extra tank acted ns a syphon, thereby emptying tin; radiator. Two other cors also pulled our, ono an E.M.R, owing to ii broken axle, the other, a Buick car, caught alight n(: tho back from some pipe nshi.s thai: had been knocked out by one of Ilia occupants. The second day's run was from Haumer bade to Ciiristehureh, via Cheviot, a distance of 162 miles. Several mobs of sheep bl.-cked ■llio road, and Mr. Green, in his 2G h.p. Minerva. lost second place in Uio private owners' class on account of two of the occupants leaving the car to clear a way through the mob. Two or three of thenars had minor mishaps, but tho only serious/breakdown was that of a 30 h.p. Overland. The car stopped about two miles from Scarjsill on the Cheviot side, and ,vi examination of the (rear box showed that a feather had stripped on Hie driving shaft. Tho results of the trial, as declared by the judie., Mr. Vx. English, that W. J. Scott's 20 h.p. Vauxhall gains the gold medal in the trade eloss, and also the first prizein the petrol consumption test. The linn-dred-guine.i silver challenge cup. presented some years ago by the Star Engineering Co., of Wolverhampton. for private owners' cars, v;ns won by Mr. K. C. Gilchrist in his 30 h.p. Rilent-Knight-Min-erya. Mr. Gilchript now permanently retains tlu> cup. The three other sleevevalve Minerva* in the trial also made nonstop runs. Gold medals for non-stop runs were gained in. tho private owners' class l)v four Cadillacs, three Rilrrat Knight Mincrva.s, a 'Wolselcy. a Buick, and an Overland. In the trade class a Vauxhall, a Silent Knight Minerva, a Unic. and a Delnge mado non-stop runs. Out of twenlv-four cars which started, twenty completed tlio run and fourteen made nnn-stnn runs, a snrprisinely crood record for reliability as compared with previous trials. On the Motor Cycle—A Record,

C. Patterson, an English motor cyclist, sncecwled in breaking the 2-f hours'motor cycle record early this month, across the water, covering oGI miles in a 24-hour run. thus adding 51 miles to the old record. The route was over a triangular oruu-r-e, milking on S;l miles circuit. On hi': first attempt, and af'.or covering 1112 miles in the first twelve hours, Patterson ."■.Hashed into a bhwst.uie fence at 1 o'clock in Iho. momiiisr. . huveail of using a r.ew motor cycle, I'attwm transferred tho engine from the pinashod machine to a uimv frame, and ilio want of rare in reassembling accounts for numerous troubles on his record ride, which seriously affected his mileage. Tho first circuit was traversed at an average speed of' about 3S miles per hour, but in the second circuit the patrol tank commenced leaking, either through a .stone, striking it or I'he pips bpins; strained in the ayseiubling. On nrriv.il .it. the control station the entire tank had to be removed, and its replacement Wiised a loss of one hour and ten minutes. On (lie fourth circuit his suplily of lubrication oil was lost through Iho pipo fraclurin;. oml tha attempt lo continue the test on tho small quemlily of oii in Hi?, crank chamber led eventually to engin? troubles. A. fresh supply caused a fur! her delay of over fostr an<! a half ho'.'.rs. During Iho nidlt his lamn wvh crolinuous trouble, and most of I'm disliince w:\s covered v.-illicur it. Taking Patterson's actual riding lime, viz., 18 ti'.:nrs ,10 minutes, his average was iiist ever X 3 miles per hour, iii'-liulinn iifleon-niintitc. stops for refreslinient* and ivpleui-hin , ; {-.i/ik-; ?t the <?ml "f ea?h circuit. Hi» rode a 2'; h.p New Nud-on machine. The previous record of 510 miles I wns made with a 3! h.p. engine. Had Urn delays nov occiirre-:l, 70ft miles in (]'■"> -■• hours would, have been porr.ible. ITovnvpr, it is the iccord so far for Australasia. In tin Malay Peninsula. Motorists who avo scekiiv: entirely new ground fur a tour cannot ilo better Hi an turn their attention to the Federated Malay States. The wi-«l coast of the peninsula possesses all excellent road system of about 2000 miles, am! the best time for motoring is during -t'lin dry season, which lasts from April to September. The rompemtuii) varies borwocu TOileg. and 80;lc;r. in the shade, and h abai:t the same all tho year round. No special typo of car is required for Malayan roads, but the move efficient the water-cooling system Vht> hotter. Tlvre i>; ni '.■.)■■:c-t\ limit in Malaya. Two hidic- , , attended by a native, have travelled tl'vr.uih the Peninsula im a 10 h.p. '•in'jle-cylindcr car. The M'ahty Stat.--.- !i. ; .,rmaUon As'f>:u\v have IHiblis-lieil i: vci> iitti-iieliyo bcoklft on motoring in Malaya. It gives in' a convenient form all information likely u> be required by Mies? conlcniplaiii!;! a motri' tour (hi'Duijh the Peninsula, and includ'.'s a useful outliiw map. Detachable Wheels. H French motor lr.anufaciurcrs have boon tardy in (heir appreciation oi the immense, value of detachable \vlu-?'.« tii?y now seem resolved t:i mc.ke up >;' lc-.t lime, and iv nu'.ke for themselves what-, thay liixvo hitherto boon content lo pjirc'liara from Enghr.ul. A company, bi?aring the name nf tho Socicte Vrnneaiso des Kones Amovibles, has jirsi: been lcriiied to make and sell detachable wheels i.;i France, several of tlw most infliior.-'.-ial people in the French, motor trade bei , .:? concerned in its formation. The her.dquarters of Iho cMiiiiany arc in tl'.c l{u? Fi'o.nklin, Ivry-I'oit, in the departmoii".- uf the Seine. Already a considcrabh , amount of plant and machinery has been insiall'.'il, and in the coui-st- of u monlh cr r.n the works will be in full swing, tnniin:r out wheels for the French market-. The prices, we understand, will bo competitive, and tho type of wheel iho ])iinbn. The whwl Kill be sold umler a tnub mark consisting of a desirrn in combin?.tio'.i with the letters H.A.V., the initials of tho Hones Amovibles Franeais??.