Australia's “Golden Arrow” Is Now Ready

Shannon News, 17 December 1929, Page 1

Australia's “Golden Arrow” Is Now Ready

SPEED OF 121 M.P.H.

New Zealand . is soon to see a real speed car—one credited with putting up the fastest time of any car in Australia to date—l2l miles an hour. This ear was designed in Australia by two men who are prominent in the rating world here, and they are well satisfied with the preliminary tests that were carried out on a concrete road “somewhere near Sydney”—at dawn on Sunday morning last. Then the machine was not all out, for the conditions for a speed test was not satisfactory. Still, there was no difficulty in making the .121 miles, and the way the engine behaved indicated that a speed of between 170 and 180 miles was within its compass. The new ear may be termed a Rolls-tioyce-Cadillac special, for it is fitted with a 12-cylinder aero engine (Rolls Royce), and there is a Cadillac chassis on which has been placed a steel bodywith a fin-ended tail. This machine is of great length, and looks more like a motor car than some of the engines that have been designed for great speed in other parts of the world. That is to say,'it is not a freak design, but has many special features which it is contended make a terrific speed possible. It will receive a more thorough tryout on the 90-mile beach at -- Gurringong, on the south coast of New' South Wales, not far from Sydney. Don Harkness is the designer of the car, and Norman Smith, known in the motoring world as lt Wizard ” because of some of the extraordinary feats that are to his credit, is the driver. The car will be timed officially, and an endeavour will be made to establish a new Australian record that will t-akea deal of beating. If the car behaves as well as is anticipated, Smith and Harkness will then go after the world’s 10-mile record' which was attained in France some months ago at an average speed of 133.54 miles an hour. For such an effort the scene will have to be carefully selected, and a Search in Aus tralia has failed to reveal a stretch that could be regarded as satisfactory. As both men are familiar with tin Kaitaia Beach in New Zealand it wjnot- surprising that they should hayi selected this as the venue of their big ■M-ial—their world conquest. It rs !-kely that the big car will be shipped to tiic Dominion soon after it ha? established an official Australian record w that it can make the attack on tin world figures early in January-. If a world’s record is cstablishe i Smith and Harkness will then conccn tratc on the building of a machine .chicli they hope, will beat the tre niendous record established by Majoi Scgravc. •