ON TWO WHEELS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 734, 6 August 1929, Page 6

ON TWO WHEELS

THE SPORT IN GERMANY

MOTOR-CYCLE RACING IS POPULAR The sporting side of motor cycling lias made a very rapid advance in popularity in Germany during recent years. It is stated that through contact with the Army of Occupation, a large number of Germans gained a better technical knowledge of the motorcycle as a means of transport and a healthy form of sport, than they could possibly have done by any otber casual means. German motor-cycle manufacturers were a good way behind many other countries, but tbey set to work to produce new machines and to improve existing designs. However, it was 1922 before any really great sporting events were run in Germany. Several large reliability trials also attracted a good deal of interest. The Kolberg races, the Avus track (Berlin) events, the Opel track races, and the “Solitude Races” were the first fixtures to be patronised by international riders, and such men as Do Vack, Ashby, S. A. Crabtree and Woods made great names in Germany in these events. The opening of the wonderful international race which took place on this course brought tire first real struggle between England and Germany, and England scored a victory. There are several interesting events in the German programme for this year. Five of these fixtures are international events; the first is a reliability trial known as the “Laenderfahrt,” which was run between ifay 15 and 29 over a distance of 4,260 kilometres. The greater part of this trial was held in the Balkans. One of the principal objects of the event was to popularise motor cycles in the districts through which it passed. The next international fixture in the programme is the Kolberg races, a speed event already well known to English riders. About a month later (July 2S) the 1929 German Grand Prix was decided on the Nurburg Ring. The Freiburg bill-climb was held~ on August 4, and drew a large number of spectators. Finally, of course, there is the fact that part of the International Six Days’ trial, which takes place this month, will be run in Germany.

ANOTHER G.M. PRODUCT MARQUETTE—COMPANION TO BUICK General Motors has produced a new car—the Marquette. It is a six-cylinder companion car to the Buick. Back from the managing directors’ conference of General Motors Export Company, the delegates state that although the newcomer will be manufactured entirely within the Buick plants, it will have no influence upon the future design and quality of the established Buick line. In the Marquette, the Buick MotorCar Company is carrying out a policy of extending Buick principles of production to a smaller companion car. As yet, the only detail announcements concerning the car are that it will have a scientifically sloped windshield, which eliminates all glare and that it will be introduced in a wide range of bodies, on the Australian market, in the near future, and that it will be in a low r er-price field than the Buick.