WILL THE BABIES SHRINK?

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 25, 29 July 1939, Page 26

WILL THE BABIES SHRINK?

The report that several English car manufacturers may make and market 6 h.p. cars to meet the extra cost of motoring which; will be imposed on British car owners, as from January next, aroused considerable interest in motoring circles in the Old Country.

.The projected step . brought forth many suggestions for and against the plan. One interesting proposal put forward was that, if such cars are to be produced, normal car design ,be departed from and instead, the best in car and motor-cycle practice be adopted to produce a runabout light in weight, economical, and of good per-

formance. The lioint was emphasised that some of the motor-cycle power units of 500 to 600 c.c. capacity now installed in British machines are capable of an output of upwards of 25 b.h.p., which is more than adequate to give a brisk and satisfactory performance in a small car not exceeding 12cwt. Some of the motor-cycle twin engines are stated to develop as much as 36 b.h.p.

It is claimed that by incorporating the high efficiency of the motor-cycle power unit in a lightweight chassis, equipped with a light body, a small car of outstanding performance could, if produced in ' quantity, be marketed at a reasonably low figure.

Amongst' automotive experts in Great Britain the consensus of opinion, however, -eems to be that there are already such. wonderful small cars on the market that there is no call for English makers to go in for large-scale production of 6 h.p. cars.