NEW COACHWORK

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 670, 24 October 1933, Page 2

NEW COACHWORK

The various fypes of hodies oh the 1934 models have heen imlproved in many imporhant respeets. There has for a year or two been a tendency ■to fit roomier coachwork on all sizes of chassis, this heing particularly prouoncied on the smaller dhiasis. This tendency is stiil in evidence, land among th'e 1934 cars there will he quite a number of not more than 10 h.p. ratimg wtih four-door saloons giving comf ortahle accommodation for four adults. Graceful, sweeping lines have come igrleatly into favour, and are to he found not only iii the curvature of the head, quarters and wings, hut also. in the treatment of the rear of the car. Many of th© new models, in fact, show a commendable ahsience of sharp corners, which act as dust traps, and they present to view few excrescences to raiar th'e smooth appearance which is so necessary for easy cleaning. iRear luggage grids piled high with suitcases .are a familiar sight at thns time of the year, land1 often the apparent inseetirity with which the cases are fixed is a miatter of comment. The f.ault may lie at the door of the ownier (writes The Light Car arid Cyclecar), but the general oonsensus of opiirion is that rear grids are unsuitlahle for anything hut a medium-sized case and that .built-in lugigage containers are preferable. Rileys demonstrated years ago hy means of the flrst "Monaco" models that a strong roomy container can be formed in one with the body with little extra expense and without detracting from the general lines of the car. Other conoeirns also adopted the id:ea, which seemed likely to hecome universal. hut its popularity received a check, and to-day many popular cars boast only a fold-up raclc for the carrydng of luggage. Car .owners, we believe, are almost wholly in favour of huiltin containers of adequate size, flrst on the score of convenience, secondly hecause the eontenti' are protected from rain and| dust, and ithirdly on grounds of saf ety. Manufacturers are against them presum'ably hecause they cost a little more and tend to complicate the task of the body designer. They imlust remember, howlever, that the luiggage prohlem iwas never more acute, and that the smaller the vehicle, thiei greater it hecomes. Separate "trunks," well made and hiaving a safe form of fixing to the grid, ara marketed hy enterprising accessory firms. They are the nearest • approach to a built-in container and, as such, may be strongly recommended. -