THIEF-PROOF MOTOR-CARS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 254, 22 July 1919, Page 8

THIEF-PROOF MOTOR-CARS

Famo and fortune await a motorist, with'a bright idea for making motorcars thief-proof. What is wanted is a simple, inexpensive, easily fitted accessor*' that a driver can operate with u touch , of the finger, so to speak, when leaving his car unattended in the street. To be really effective the device must prevent the car from boing towed or pushed away, as well as making it difficult, if not impossible, for a thief to start the engine without the "key." So far all tho "market" can provide for this purpose is a length of chain, villi a padlock large enough to secure the gates of the Tower. At every stop the' driver entwines this chain around the spokes and axle of the front wheels. No one will question the security of this method—or the length of tho bill for repairs to the -spokes should the driver inadvertently drive off without hauling up the "^ichor/' Tlw mouern motoi thief, who watches very, closely any covert: action of Ins intended victim when leaving his car, is an expert meelinnic, and if ho has any doubts about being able to start the engine ho is not above towing the car off behind his pirate craft which is lurking in .the "offing" in readiness for an emergency. The police, say this has been done on many occasions. In these circumstances, can any inventive person bring forward an idea foi making a' ear give out a loud alarm when being towed or driven "against its will"? One inventor says that by simply turning a Yalo key in a secreteo lock close to the driver's hand ho cai' move the elapner of an alarm gong into position' so that any movement would make the car as conspicuous in a crowded thoroughfare as a runaway fire engine, To prevent n car from being started and driven in a casual way there are of eourso many simple expedients Hint could be adopted which would at any rate delay an expert thief for some little time while lio tried to find out what was wrong. A hidden switch in the magneto cir- : cuit, for instance, would necessitate tho' thief raising the bonnet to remove tho "earth" wire from the magneto before he could start the engine—not too simple a job if the engine bonnet were locked. One driver whom I know fitted an extra air valve under the induction pipe, which ho opened wide with a hidden wire when leaving his, seat. A subsequent- owner spent, three days in trying to start the ear. Another devised n secret cnteh to hold tho clutch out of engagement, which was released by pressing a spring. An easy method of locking the steering suggests itself which would prevent the ear from being driven or towed, but ther.e is always the danger of the driver starting off without releasing the gear, in which case an accident would almost certainlyjgesult. —W.F.L., in the "Daily Mail."