GROUND CLEARANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 308, 20 March 1928, Page 6

GROUND CLEARANCE

AVERAGE IN ENGLISH CARS AN OLD BOGEY EXPOSED One of the leading members of the Government is having his leg pulled following an unfortunate remark concerning the respective merits of British and foreign cars. Although he drives in British cars himself and has no complaint against them —it is rumoured that his driver took the honourable gentleman and his party over 60 miles in under an hour and a-half quite recently in some very difficult and hilly country—he let slip something about “if British manufacturers would build cars suitable for New Zealand roads.’ “What do you mean?” he was asked. After hesitancy, ‘such things as ground clearance” were mentioned, whereupon our friend was taken to task and shown that the ground clearance of the leading English cars selling in this country is higher than that of the majority of foreign makes. It is a fact that English cars have more than adequate clearance, but all kinds of people are ready to believe—on the statements of those interested—that machines made by their own countrymen have little clearance. The average clearance of the first five makes of leading foreign cars sold in New Zealand last year is 8.9 in., while the average clearance of the first five English cars is 9.4 in., a difference of half on inch in favour of the British car, but still the old bogey persists. Shackle bolts should be kept well lubricated at all times. If this is neglected the bolts “freeze” and must be broken away with a chisel. • • • An optirryst is a chap who hopes he has enough petrol to get him to a place where it’s cheaper. A pessimist carries two spare tyres, an extra tube and a pump whenever he drives down town to a movie.