MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 61, 5 December 1919, Page 2

MOTORS & MOTORING

(By "Clutch.")

Growth of Automobile Industry,

An oxcollont idea of the tremendous growth of tUo automobile and how it has gradually become a part of our daily life can bo seen from the fact that tjihco'lDH there has been in increase of 258 per cent, in the number of automobiles purchased in tho United States 'says tho New York "Evoning Post"). Sidney B. Bowman, of tho bidnoy B. Bowman Automobile Company, submits facts and figures which should prove widely interesting. He asserts that in 1918 there wore some 6,1iG,000 registered automobiles compared with 1,700,000 in 1914. This great growth" of tho automobile industry during the last five years was obscured by the war. but it is interesting to notice how each year the number of motor-cars in use has practically doubled. For instance, in 1900, the most available figures showed there were only 10,000 automobiles registered. From this year to 1905 there is some doubt as .to aceurato figures, inasmuch as automobile registrations are not available from. 1901 to 1905.. In. 1900 thero were 48,C00 registrations; in 1907 there wero 100,000, a gain of a little over 50 por cent.; in 1908 there were 115,000; in 1909 it takes a jump of 100 per cent., there being 250,000 registrations during that year. In 1910 there wore 500,000. automobiles registered, or a guin of 100 per cent. In 1911 there were 700,000 registrations, or only a gain of 200,000 ears;' in 1912 thero were 1,000,000, a gain of 800,000 oars; in 1913 1,P00,000 registrations, or a gain of 80 per cent.; in 1814, when tho European war broke out, it wes back to 1,700,000 registrations, or a Joss of 100,000 cars. Then, in 1915 it climbs to 2,400,000 registrations, or a gain of 700,000 ears. In, 1918 there were. 3,400,000 registrations, or a gain of aa even million cars. In 1917 ' there, were 4,950,000 registrations, or a gain of 1,550,000 cars, whilo in 1918 it reaches tho peak of 6,146,000 registrations. Mass Production. "I have'been urging tho necessity ot mass production, on a miniaturo ecalo for several years in order to bring our manufacturing methods more or less into lino with thoso in tho United States, but British firms were content to lot matters drift an 4 tako their chance," says a writer in; the "Westminster Gnzotto." Now, however, they are fully alive to the dangers that threaten them from America. Not that fear American cars wijl be sold in this country at a cut rata. That has never boon done, and cannot nnd won't be dono now. What they fear, and rightly so, is the readiness of America to deliver the goods, and in increasing quantify, by reason of the larger number of exporting firms, since tho American car producer is well awnro that he can get a higher prico for his wares in England, as our own makers are aware they can get a higher prico for thoirs in othor countries. Everybody is trying to seill in the dearest market,. but our own chassis builders the more seriously hampered by reason of their unproparedness, and the waiting gomo they have been playing to se> what tho Government trade policy was foing to be. They wero kept waiting insuspense until the last moment, nnd thon the decision went against them us regards restricting imports. As a consequence tho British - motor industry is doubly handicapped—handicapped by its indifference to American methods of production, and handicapped by the prolonged delay in waiting for Government help. But the old British motor industry has more to meet now than the mass production of America, whether .that is admitted into this country by regulated smalt or large doses. The large established organisations at home have now got to reckon with fierce competition from -within. What they declined to do to standardiso a design for quantity production, in tho limited sense that wo understand it over here, other British firms aro now doing, and a year hence they may find themselves in a tight corner unless they at onco begin to, revise their idea6;on tho question of prices nnd t.vpea As the 'Times' says, the troublo in this country is, and has been for years, that our motor vehicle constructors aro too timid, too narrow-mind-ed and jealous, and that they pamper the public. This endorses what I said myself on the subject only, quite recently. Tli- v«st. majority of our cars aro still being built tosatisfy the whims of pampered buyers, and it \s not surprising, therefore, to find the 'Times' urging that tho' plan of building exoonsive- and' elaborate, rars, and markelin? them in several different models. should be definitely , condemned. IK is. the, whole truth thnt it must; be condemnod if .wo are to regain our markels at home and abroad." Tyro Mileage." The 'question-of. tyre mileage is a subject that interests all motorists, and at the samo time, is one lipon which it is almost impossible to form even an approximately correot estimate (says an exchange). There are eo' many factors that enter into tho question—the weight of ciir, power of engine, tho skill of driver, . tho rate of travel, the method of driving around comers, careless use of brakes, attention to tyre inflation, ajid roads driven ovor, being amongst the most important. Then, again, faulty wheel alignment may upset one's estimate, for nothing wears tyres so, Very seldom will n car-owner beilevo that tho. alignment is at fault, but it 19 more in. evidence than, most motorists think. Then, again,, thore is another important factor, and that ig tho variations that must occur in fabric _ and rubber, and their trertment in manufacture. No 1 tyremaker in the world has yet succeeded in making his output of covers of uniform capabilities M far as wear is concerned. Motorists' fan reasonably anticipate the'best average results by following the precepts or old, experienced .'manufacturers. When ono observes how great numbers of drivers misuse their tyres by faulty and carelosa driving, the wonder . is that tyres give the r average wearing results they do. Every motorist can, without doubt, add considerably to tho .mileage of his tyre; if ho will only give them a'little care and consideration. The manufacturer has the world's best cotton and rubber to bjiild up a tyre to withstand almost, incredible stresses,- and he _ is. doing his best to cvolvo war-resisting, long-service covers, but his efforts aro nullified in many instances by thoughtless treatment by the cAreless driver. There is a degree of .uncertaintyin the mileage of all covers; but one thing is 6iire,, and' that.is bad driving and insufficient inflation : considerably shorten the life of any cover. Jottings, A difficult problem has been that of controlling tho oil supply in an automobile motor in ordor .to havo.tfufficient oil under the worst or most severe conditions, and still not too much oil when using but little powor, or that • which would be needed under average'running conditions of a car on, good roads nnd with a" light load.' Continual study has enabled tho engineers of a prominent motor-car maker to perfect a new automata oil control on which they have applied for.patents and. which is paid to,accomplish the following results:— When the motor is pulling its maximum load, or. using its.full; horse-power, with the throttle w'de open, tho automatic oil control provides tho maximum oil pressure needed, as well as the necessaryoil supply to maintain .tho proper oil .film under this full load condition. When the motor load is reduced and tho throttle olosed the control automatically reduces tho oil pressure as wall as tho o -: ! Supply. It prevents tho piling up of oil . at. either end of,tho oil .basin,, i.e.,.when going u.p a grade or when going down a, grade. It distributed the correct amount of oil in tho oil pockets for each cylinder, regardless of the grade load condition or speed. It is said 110 cylinder is ever starved of oil or gets too much. An American inventor has patented an in c tniment to 'be installed 1.11 a motor vehicle that provides a continuous record of every period of use of a car. In brief, it consists of 'a strip of ruled record l?nv«r moved by clockwork. A suitable marking devico is attached to the speedometer of the combination. The mark left .on tl\o record sheet shows tho speed at which the ear was travelling at any indicated time, as the paper strip is divided into days, hours, and. minute.?. This devico is'believed to be of value to operators of taxiealw and also to owners of automobiles driven l>v chaft'eurs, not to mention its possibilities for commercial motor vehicles, . It is surprising how much dirt will collect in tho bottom of a petrol tank even when the fuel is habitually passed through agauzo Btrainor... It is equally.'!

surprising how few owner-drivers over drain and clean out their tanks, An occasional thorough cleaning out of tho petrol tank will obviate many annoying roadside delays, and at tho samo time ensure mora oven supply,of petrol to carburettor, and consequently an won running' pf unginb. Twenty ytws ago Mr. Hen.-y Fowl designed his first Ford car or motor-buggy, nnd builti'. in a bicycle shop in his barn. Thi> neigh oours christened it "Ford's Folly." It was not long before he was ,? agiiitft trouble. A collision occurred with » cyclist, tho motor vohiclo passing over hini, and thus Detroit had its first, automobile accident. The car was so light, however, that tho man was uninjured. In a short twenty-three years Henry Ford, by means of hir. own. individual skill as an organiser and his cv'ii resourceful jfenlus, but contrived to rise from the bicyclo shop in- his -barn to jhe ownership of an industrial plant which in the heyday of the war covered a laTgor extent and employed moro men than the hugo Krupp plants at &sen. Startingwith no assets but his hands and brain, Henry Ford'succeeded, after only fifty years of his lifo, in amassing such a fortune, that in WIS he was reputed to liavo the third largast income tax in tho world.

Aocording to figures recently published, the number of- motor-vehicles registered in Victoria has increased by 300 per cent, during the last eight years, the effects of the war notwithstanding. ■ It appears, too, that tho cars registered in each year greatly exceeded the number of motor-oycles- recorded, sometimes by oa much as 50 par cent. In 1912 thero'wero in tho State some 5000 cars and 3430 motor-cycles, a total of' 8430 motorvehicles. .It is computed that for 1919 tho cars will number about 16,000, and motor-cycles probably 11,000, or a total of FomQ 27,000 machines. It is further stated that tho effects of shortage of stocks brought about by lessened production, both in Europe and America, aro now being fully appreciated, otherwise we could have looked forward to much larger expansion in the use of tho car during the current year. Tho high prices ruling are also a deterrent,' inducing many to adopt the motor-cyclo'and side-car Who otherwise would have purchased -cars.

Taxi-men of Perth have expressed approval of the action of the West Australian Legislature in placing tho motor traffic control in the hands of tho police force, and incidentally they air several grievances under which they labour at present. They point out, for instance, that with regard to tho issue of car licenses, tho taxi-man who resides in any suburb, just outside of Perth, has to pay «C 3 or iM 'to his Toad board or other local authority, ahd if he is flying for hire in Perth the ins-Btg on. a similar payment. The taxi-men_ contend, that this is outrageous, and is, as a matter-of fact, illegal, as was proved in the High Court of-the State scano. four or five years ago, and submit that the taxi-men should be ablo to ply for hire in Porth or any other district in tho State on payment of a driver's license only.

There are many owners and drivers today who do not know the fundamental principles of the internal-combustion engine that they handle, and it is stranger still that so Ion? as matters go all right they do not take the trouble to learn, remarks an expert. However; it is safe, to say .that, when such knowledge is needed, it is needed, very urgently indeed, and its absence means considerable expense and loss of time in getting other people, to cany out simple jobs that the owner or driver could do himself. The electric starter is, fortunately, for the motorist, one of the-, simplest pieces of. mechanism in existence, and he benefits enormously from the fact that the electrie motor has been used for many years as the most successful 'of all ducing machines. It has reached a degree of' reliability which ,is superior to that of the internal-combustion engine, as an electric motor will work under conditions of neglect in a way that no internalcombustioii engine could possibly be qxpeeted to do. « Hundreds of silencers have been invented from time to time, many of these embodying such fantastic ideas as strongly to support the contention that the inventors of these devices did not trouble about fundamental principles at all. The lime would seem to/bo opportune,- now that scientific research is indispensable to progress in autouiobilism, to investigate the subject of' silencing, and lay down the correct principles to apply. There are various practical considerations, also, to be ta.ken into account. For example, thero should be- some method of knowimr whether a silencer is retaining its effircncv, and not - re-acting on the engine by the creation, of back pressure. Very fen" 'cat-owners 'give any thought to the silencer, Generally speakintr. it is inaccessible and dirty to d«il with, even though it bo made to take apart, and consequently the internal baffle-plates and tubes become' gradually choked up with earbonacious material from the gnttvs. It ought to bp possible, by inspecting a gauge or other device, to- tell at a. glance whether or not a silencer is in good condition. .

Ligliting-up Time.—To-day, 7.11 p.m. Next Friday, 7.17 p.m.