AUTOMOTIVE NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 12, 14 August 1930, Page 12

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Self Adjusting Spring Shackle

Perfected-

Motor cars bought in a'hundred different countries this year will incorporate a device invented by Bupert I>. Rand of Amhurat, Nova Scotia,, that contributes .definitely to trouiblefree motoring. The invention, which has 'been bought by General Motors and is regular equipment on all its cars, is. a self-acTjusting.spring shackle.

The .'new self-adjusting spring shackle eliminates the bush ings f ornierly. used. A bolt passing through the centre of the shackle is .provided with a heavy j plate spring which aiitomatieaUy takes up any play produced toy wear.. The j result is self-adjusting, noiseless spring, shackle. Aleniite fittings leading into the oil reservoir make frequent, lubrication unnecessary. . China's Ptresident Has "Safety, Car. The most costly and luxurious ;iriotor\. car ever brought to China was ibuilt ■ for the President of the Nanking Goyernment. The whole of the.metal work on the body of the lijnousine, and ev<en. the hood, is of half-inch thick navy steel plate, which is designed to shed the bullets', or bomibs of Would-be assassins. T^ae extra seats project from, the back of the cjrir,.'ibtalt high enough, to. permit the occupants to see for: \rard over, tlse hood. Tiose will .'"be occupied by special guards with ma^ chine guns. The running boards are;, unusually long, for guards to stand .on, • each with a pistol in hand. Turning Made Easy. A turntable .is built: ;flush with a narrow street'-in Pa*is,_ France; to facilitate the . turning; atoiind' of ■"■■motor,, ears. It is operated by. an electric motor. The, plan is expected to speed traffic and prevent congestion of vchieles. General Motors' Share of Registration Gains. Ou"t of a total passenger ear registration in the. TCJnited States at the •close of 1929 of ■ 22^59%701^ , General Motors Corporation had manufactured 6,356,901. This means that 28.13 <per cent of all cars registered are General Motors products. ' Titis figure is almost equal to the total number of caTs registered ten year^.|^o..v !; In commenting- on'- !t*his favourable percentage, Mr. A. P. Sloan, Junr., President of G-eneral. Motors •Corporation, regards this^as a gratifying tendency not only because of the number of cars sold but because oif the tendency on the part of motorists to replace cars with those with, which they are satisfied. Free Driving Lessons. A" race track at Lune Park, Berlin, has been turned into a driving school /wbere new motorists are taught to . drive free of charge. European Touring Seasons. A reeeiit. compilation of. the best seasons for touring. through t&e Old World may/;be of- interest to those who are planning automobiie tours.

The best time to motor through the British Isles, Prance, G-ermany, Holland ,aud Belgium is between. April and

Octaber; there is -splendid aveathe^ along the Prcnch -Kiviera. during the winter months. In Switzerland, Italy and Austria the mountain passes are not open till well in Jurfc, >but outside of these regions very good weather prevails from the middle of April well into November; In Eumania, Bulgaria Poland Yugoslavia, Czecho-slovakia, and HungaTv t-lie summer months are tho most^inviting^ altiiough along the Dalinatiah coast it is i^ossible to tour somewhat earlier. , ,

In southern Spain the'spring eomos early but in the north it is most pleasant to travel a/bout the end of April, Norway, Sweden^ Denmark and Finland are,most attractive from May iuntil September. ..In North Africa the touring season is from October Until :May. ■ ■ : ,■.-,■;';, ■' ■■■'■■,■