MOTOR AND CYCLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1918, Page 6

MOTOR AND CYCLE.

NEWS AND NOTES... f.

War is liaving an effect upon every •last detail of civilized life, says one of the leading motor cxperte in America, and it is going to affect aaitotaobile design just as much as other things. We are to-day entering un era in which the highest ideal of a inan or of a nation is the ideal of economy. Sever before in history lias economy been mors admired than extravagance, never before has a change in public sentiment been made so quickly. The American nation, a leader iu so many things, has for fifty years been proud of the fact thai itn resources permitted it to be a leader in extravagance. Like the wealthy man who demands the best of everything, America has been the wealthy nation able to pay for whatever it wanted. Tf these premises are sound then the American passenger car of the Hear future is going to he one in which economy is a strong feature, a car of which the first cost plus the maintenance cost over a period of years, will make a good showing. We are about to exchange ''What will she do on high?" or '"what will she do to the gallon?" Tt is a fact that already those cars which have a, reputation for economical operation. Jiave suffered far less than those which are known as wonderful performers. The volume of passenger car business being done to-day represents Jittlo more than the essential trade which supplies transportation to those who need it- The whole agricultural lijie of the whole United States and a good half of the business life of small towns and large cities depend to-day upon passenger car transportation. The average American ear Iras exacted too high a price for the service it rendered. Not too high a first price, but too high a maintenance price. It has been too big, too heavy, too powerful; too ..extravagant of fuel of oil and of tyres; too frequently in need of repair. To take just one instance, it is absurd to utilize two tons of machinery *o carry a man ten miles from his home to his office. It is .equally absurd to provide his car with an engine which normally lias a fuel efficiency of 10 per cent, when it could have a 20 per cent, efficiency by sacrificing the ability to crawl an high gear. Ido not wish to quote the European example as in any sense a criticism, but it is true that European cars have been much less costly to operate. They have to be because of the much smaller average wealth. The English or French user j simply had to consider running expense. IHe bad to have an economical car or none. This is the reason why motor cycles have had such an immense vogue in Knrope. Similarly it has been an ideal to have a huge car, an idea! fostered by advertising and by salesmen everywhere. Without doubt the big car lias its comforts, but the little car has conveniences which more than counterbalance. Nobody who lias tried both would ever choose a 12ft. wheetbnso car for shopping in preference to a 9ft, one, provided both were of the j(ime standard of engineering. At present engineers then have two ways to worlc —one towards a car whioh more economical because it is smaller; another towards a car which is more economical because it is inherently better. .

There is another thing. We are nearly at the end of petrol as we know it. No doubt the fuel ten years hence will still be called petrol but it will not operate a 1938 petrol ear . We have got to learn to sacrifice the absurdities of "flexibility" existing in the modern engine in order to use a fuel which we will he able to buy for a third the present price. If motoring were merely a luxury now, as it used to 1/e 1.1 years or more ago, then the annual output of cars in America would perhaps be 100,<IOO or less. The world has taken a ;luxury offered to it and used .that luxury as a necessity It is time that tlu> true reason for the enormous demand for ears was appreciated., and reflected in automobile engineering and design.

That the American, ex-champion, Frank Kramer, ir> still capable of sprintin." fast was recently demonstrated by his riding a half mile in competition in I the world's record time of 53 seconds. The cycle-car appears to be coming: into favor again with certain English manufacturers noiv considering post; war policies. Certainly there is room for reliable little vehicles, which will provide means for motoring for the masses. There is every indication that prices will be -up after the war, And the gap which was tilled by the low-priced light car will again be vacant by the small two-seater being advanced in price to the neighborhood of the figure of popular 111-12 cars of a few years backYears back we looked annually to Europe for the latest tendencies in motor car construction, but owing to the makers n ow being mostly engaged in i\itr work, America is the only country tluit, atl'ords an opportunity of judging tlie trend of motor car construction, etc. ■So far during (he past year there .is little sign that the war lias made any radical or basic alterations in American passenger car design and price. Two years ago prices raacbed their lowest limit, and last year, there were signs tliat the price pendulum had commenced to swing the other way 'Co-day prices sliow « tendency to go up on account of (lie increased cost of labor and materials. Prices current a year ago compared with those now in force show that the most popular types are those ranging from .-CISC to £2OB, £2OO to C"l?' (these the most popular) whilst the cars priced from the latter figure up to £624, come next in favor. Block castings of cylinders are litted to nearly P0 per cent of tin l cars made. Vacuum jfuel feed has come greatly into use, 7!( per cent; of the curs being fitted with this adjunct. Self-starting and lighting outfits are used in nearly 80 cars nut of every 100. j'he tendency in tyres is for bigger covers and more air space; Battery ignition maintains its I lend. Srt per cent of ear.3 being litted willi this form of ignition. -The small runabouts have been shortened in wheelbase, whilst the medium priced touring models have increased a few inches in length Higher cHicieney engines of a smaller size are gradually coming into vogue, following more closely the European practice. '