MOTORING AND CYCLING NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1930, Page 2

MOTORING AND CYCLING NOTES

WHO MADE FIRST AUTOMOBILE^.

Throughout the motoring world, credit is generally given to Gottlieb Daimler as being the “Father of the Automobile.” In authoritative publications Herr Daimler is invariably cited as the man responsible for the modern motor. Unquestionably this German engineer did wonders towards developing the petrol internal combustion engine, and few halve ever a doubt about accepting the belief that Daimler did father the motor car. That

. there is now reason to doubt this acceptance is accounted for by the fact that when Henry Ford, a short time . back, was on a visit to Munich, (Germany), he unsuccessfully endeavoured to acquire from the Munich museum a motor vehicle, built by Carl Benz in 1884, and which it is claimed, was the first automobile in the world, j This raises the interesting question, who really did built the first practical petrol driven automobile, Daimler or BenzP With a view of endeavouring to answer this intriguing question the Dunlop Co. have searched their files of automobile journals, and the J outcome establishes some interesting i facts. j Although .steam driven vehicles had j from time to time made their appearance, even as far back as 1665 in China, and subsequently grpat efforts were made to popularise them in England and on the Continent from 1820 to 1840, they made little headway. It ( was not until the “Eighties” that the possibilities of the gas engine were realised, and then chiefly through the efforts and brains of Dr. Otto of Germany. As far back as 1870 he was at work on his stationary gas engine, operated by coal-gas, an engine which was later to make his name worldfamed. Tn 1834 there was born at Wurtemberg, (Germany), Gottlieb Daimler As a youth he worked at various GerI man engineering works. Subsequently j he went to England and joined up

with the great Whitworth engineering firm in whose employ he greatly improved both his theoretical and practical knowledge. He was essentially a student. Later he returned to Germany and collaborated with Dr. Otto in perfecting his ga.< engine. Success was attained in 1872, but it was not until 10 years later that their company —-t'hfe Gas Motoren Rabrik —was a financial success. Prior to this the Crossley Bros, of Manchester had made arrangements for making the Otto engine in England, and the Crossley engine later won a world-wide reputation. But Daimler had further ideas, for realising that the gas engine was tied to a stationary gas making plant, lie started out to perfect an internal combustion engine which would operate on gas from petroleum oil. In 1882 he retired from the Otto interests, and associated with Wilhelm Maybach, devoted himself entirely to inventing and perfecting a petrol engine suitable for propelling a road vehicle. After persistsent endeavour he evolved the Daimler engine, which in its improved form, later laid the foundation of one of the world’s greatest industries. In 1885 he patented his earliest engine, which worked on the Otto principle; the patent also covered its application to a bicycle. Previously compressed air and steam had been tried in small motors adapted to bicycles, but with little success.

It was in November, 1886, that he made his first trial” with his motor propelled bicycle, but the drawbacks were so apparent that he turned his efforts to the application of his motor to a carriage. On March 4th, 1887, he made the first trials with his petrol driven four-wheeled motor vehicle. Little progress : was made commercially until In 1889, when Daimler succeeded in enlisting the Interest of the big French engineering firm, Panhard and Lavassor, and it was not long before the Daimler become world famed. Herr Daiinler did not live to see his great invention revolutionise road transportation throughout the civilised world, for he died in March 1900.

Simultaneously with Daimler’s early efforts, another German engineer in Carl Benz—whom Daimler had then not met —was independently working on a petrol engine. For some years prior to 1883 Benz had been at work perfecting an engine with a view to its use in a road vehicle. He built his engine into a large sized, wire spoked wheeled tricycle and had it running on the streets of Mannheim in 1885. It is stated that this vehicle was actually built in 1884, but was not perfected until two years later, when a patent was granted Benz on January 29th, 1886; the machine being described in the specifications as the first spirit motor car in the world. The engine had a horizontal flywheel, was water-cooled, and the ignition was electric by means of Bunsen .Cells. It developed about f horsepower which was transmitted by belt to a countershaft nnd then by chnins to the driving wheels, with a smaller steering wheel in front. A steering lever at the top of an upright column, actuated a toothed shaft, nnd provided the means of steering the vehicle. The car carried 2 persons and could travel up to 9 miles an hour. In 1888—the same year as the ndveht of the Dunlop pneumatic tyre which has been inseparably linked up with the evolution of motoring—Carl Benz was awarded a Gold Medal at the Munich exhibition for his motor vehicle, which excited very favourable comment in Germany.

Like Daimler, a bitter struggle was ahead of Carl Benz, before be won success, but in a few years the fame of the Benz car spread throughout the world. Even in 1900 there was a car of this make running on Australian roads. Tn 1924 the Benz Company merged with the. powerful Mercedes Company (Germany) and in 1926 with the . German Daimler Co., which was originally founded by Daimler’s efforts. Both these clever engineers have been hailed as the “Father of the Automobile”; in addition, Herr Benz is credited with the invention of the differential gear which is to-day a,n integral part of the world’s 35,000,000 automobiles. Born in 1844 ,Carl Benz lived to see the amazing development of the automobile industry, • and he only died in Germany in April, 1929. The facts here cited appear to favour Herr Benz as the first to place a petrol driven automobile on the road —he having driven his machine in Mannheim in 1885, while Daimler’s first road trials, with a carriage fitted with his engine, was not until March, 1887, although he had driven a motor propelled bicycle on the road in November, 1886, Gottlieb Daimler’s earliest efforts appear to have been concentrated more on applying the “Otto” principle to the petrol engine, and it was later that he gave his attention to its application to a road vehicle. Tn the meantime Benz apparently more concerned from the transportation end, bad pushed on with his motor vehicle, thus anti-dating Daimler’s first automobile. There can, however, be little doubt that the efforts of Daimler in developing the petrol engine, founded and paved the way for the efficient modern automobile, engine. One thing is certain, the whole automobile world is deeply indebted to these two German inventors, who did so much towards advancing the greatest civilising agency of the century.

Never has a man faced a big task with more confidence than Norman Smith, who next March intends making an attempt on a New Zealand beach to better the late Sir Henry Segrave’s record of 231.36 m.p.h. Not only is he confident of bettering the existing figures but of adding at least 40 miles per hour to the world’s fastest land speed. The reasons for

Norman Smith’s confidence is that he will liave one of the finest and most efficient engines that Great Britain lias produced—giving- off over one horsepower to every pound weight of metal. Although the “Hush Hush” Napie* engine, of which no details are permitted by the British Government, develops twice the power of the engine in Segrave’s Dunlop shop “Golden Arrow”, it bulks considerably smaller, enabling a lower set machine to be constructed. It will be the most efficient engine ever fitted in a chassis and its tremendous power is mad'e possible by perfect balancing, high revolutions, and supercharging. Another important fact that makes Smith so confident is the wonderful beach at Kaitaia, upon which he will make his attempt. At the Daytona Beach (U.S.A.) upon which Segrave, Campbell [ and Keech all established reoerds oi over 200 m.p.h., there is only a 9 1 miles stretch of suitable hard sand j available: the timed course being the central mile. Experts claim that its maximum speed carrying capacity ■ has nearly been reached. On the New : Zealand beach there is a 30 miles 1 stretch of perfect sand, so hard after i the tide has receded that a heavy pneJ umatic tyred vehicle leaves no inden-tation-only a slight feathering of the top grains of the hard sand, showing where the suction of the tyres have turned over the top film of sand. Smooth as glass, there is practically no vibration or dithering of wheels. When Segrave recorded his last great drive at Daytona, the “Golden Arrow” through striking a small rut on the beach, leapt 47 feet before touching the sand again, After Norman Smith’s run at 160 m.p.h. for one mile and 148 m.p.h. for 10 mites on the N.Z, bench in January, 1930, he examined the track of his car on the sand and in no instance was there evidence of the wheels ever having lost contact with the hard sand; furthermore, his car, even at 160 m.p.h. called for no special effort in steering, in fact, the machine almost steered itself. Summed up, the reasons for Norman ! Smith’s great confidence is that he has the finest engine ever used by any contender for the world’s speed Blue Riband, whilst he is satisfied that the I Kaitaia Beach is many miles faster and considerably safer than the Day- | tona Beach, upon which so many clas- ' sic world’s records have been established.

The Napier power unit arrived in Sydney recently, and every effort is being made at the engineering works of H'nrkness and Hillier to have the car finished in ample time for the great event, in March next. ■,

One of the most important developments in automobile engine design of recent years has been the stepping up of the revolutions per minute. Less than 20 years ago, the 4-eyclinder power units, even in racing ears, ran at about 2500 r.p.m. ; to-day racing engine speeds of 5000 to 0900 r.p.m. are not uncommon, whilst even passenger ears nowadays often touch between 3000 and 4000 revolutions. The object of this inerense in engine speed is gained by better balancing of reciprocating parts, larger valves, different cam setting, and lighter pistons. The latter are now usually made of aluminium alloys instead of the heavier cast iron type, an additional advantage being that the alloy piston conducts heat from the piston head quicker than the heavier metal. That automobile engineers have been able to design and produce power units of extreme lightness and high efficiency that will stand up to sustained work for long periods without engine fatigue is one of the wonders of the automobile age. Au outstanding instance of high “Revvinsr” was the recent performance of the little Dunlop shod Austin, which won the English 500 miles race at an average speed of 83.4 m.p.h., which called for the miniature engine (747 c.c.) revving at some 5000 r.p.m. for over 6 hours.