CYCLING & MOTORING NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10712, 18 September 1912, Page 6

CYCLING & MOTORING NOTES

The Victorian Motor Exhibition, which terminated last week, wasjui imqualiiied suceeso in every way. ihe show should give a yreat li'dip to the motor trade, as the total jittendaiiewas :jf;,()OU, and durin;; rhc week thtexhibit'on was o;)en, it is e.-;uin:ir.'-'' that, over L' 30.00!.) worth of <-:irs w.-n sold. Ti:.t' Automobile Club of Victoria, who promoted the evou, ;>m: the traders wlio .so ahl.v seconded t-he.r t'li'ort-s, are to bo congratulated on the splendid results achieved. The Club itself will clear a sum of over L'kMU, wliich JiNioiii't will probably be earmarked i'-v future exhibitions, of a .similar nature. The. exhibition of cars was easily the Hnest yet seen under one roof in Australia, whilst the artistic design and effect of many of the stands and pavilions compared very favourably with those seen at similar shows in London, Paris and New York. The Victorian Show will pmbably develop in to the "Olympia" of Australia, for the Melbourne Exhibition Building oilers advantages as regards position and floor space, that is ! lacking- in any of the other States. The Automobile Club of Victoria has |

now such n. handsome sum behind it. besides valuable experience gained from tlic event uivdcr notice, that its next venture in this direction should )k> even a greater success. Ft is hardly likely that the rwxb Victorian Motor Exhibition will behold before WMFrancis Birtlos, accompanied by Ins younger brother C'live, leaves Melbourne tliis week on another long jaunt. Birtles, who has already cycled .and motored some 70,000 miles, 'across mid around this Continent, reaching .into almost every accessible part of Australia, this time intends journey-, ing from Melbourne through to Brisbane, thence across to the Gulf of Carpentaria and along the Uoper ' Kivei into the Northern Territory. \ f rv'M Port Darwin he will travel ra-.th across Australia, ultimately picking uy the track followed by the ill-fated Hurke and Willis party, and thence through to Melbourne. The trip will total between 7000 and 8000 miles, and will ho attempted on a 22 h.p. "Met/." car, shod with Dunlop tyres. The machine selected is a light American runabout <>r four cylinders (3j{in bore by 4in stroke) and the car itsolr docs not weigh more than H) cwt.. Birtles, who will take n set of cinematograph pictures during his trip, expects to be away about six months. Petrol and oil Mipplies are being arranged for by the Vacuum Oil Co., who in several instaiicos will have to pack supplies into most inaccessible spots. This is Birtles second trip per motor car. ho early this vear having successfully motored from Perth to Sydney (2000 miles) m 23 days. . ■

A big road race—to be known ns the "Dunlop Gold Cup"—is to be decided in Victoria on October .jtli. Tlr.s event is being subsidised by tlie Duulop Rubber Company, so tha;. Victorian road riders may have a long distance race in place of the annual "Warrnamljcol," "hie 1 - !:.tj kir^d t»:. voar cv.ing tn govcuing troubles in Victoria. The contest is bemg promoted bv tho Victorian Cycle Tradcrr. and will be held u:?.dc: the v;l"v oi t : :: Victoria a Road Board. Thv \:vb.O lis' will be a valuable one. totalling £'2lo. The course selected is part of the worldfamed "Warrnambool" route, viz., from C/amperdown to Footscray, a distance of 116 miles, Tho secretary of the League of New South-Wales has received eommunciations from several Continental Leagues and riders, stating that a number of foreign riders contemplate visiting Australia for the six days' team race to bo held on the Sydney Cricket Ground from December 20th to January 4tß. Since the. remarkable success of the British "Sunbeam" in the small car division of the recently decided Grand Prix at Dieppe (France), there lias