THREE-SEATER CARS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12609, 20 November 1926, Page 18

THREE-SEATER CARS

MANUFACTURERS’ PROBLEMS.

Ever since the obsolescence of the high-P©rched type of passenger car, which permitted of building the rear seat out over the wheels, it has been a problem to provide a seat of sufficient width to be comfortable for three full-sized people. At one time it looked as though the outcome of the situation would be that rear seats would be

arranged for two instead of three people, and cars would be built in two, four and six, instead of two, five and seven-passenger models. However, the five-passenger and the sevenpassenger types bad become so well established that manufacturers were loath to give them up. and four and six-passenger models remained exceptions.

Additional difficulties have been introduced in recent years by the adoption of balloon tyres. The width of tread is figured to the centre of the wheel or tyre, and if the width of the tyre is increased the permissible width of the rear seat is decreased by the same amount. The larger the car the more difficult the task, because the buyer of a large car naturally expects particularly roomy and comfortable seats, while, on the other hand, the •width of tyre required increases with the weight of the car. ‘ Designers of large cars now are beginning to meet the difficulty bv widening the tread at the rear. In tho past it has been generally considered essential that a car which was to ho sold in all parts of a country should have the standard tread of 56£ inches, Ro.it could readily follow horse wagon, tracks. However, the network of hard roads is increasing continually and -the need for travelling in deep ruts made by farm wagons, etc., arises quite rarely, especially in the case of tho more expensive cars, a good proportion of which are bought in the large cities, in the neighbourhood of which tho roads are particularly good. Moreover, with balloon tyres ami modern springing it is not so essential to follow in the ruts when travelling over dirt roads ns it was with the older, poorly-sprung vehicles.