MOTOR NOTES.

Progress, Volume II, Issue 4, 1 February 1907, Page 141

MOTOR NOTES.

By " Accumulator "

The Wellington and Wairarapa Motor Co. Ltd have succeeded to the business iormerl} known as that oi Jenkmson & Co Ltd * * * * * tI am informed that the cai le uling the motorcar procession through the tunnels of the Mauretania (which formed the subject of an illustration m last month's Progress) is a six-cylinder Napier *** * k * The Motonsi is the name oi a new fortnightly review published by Argyll Motors, Ltd The first number, issued on November I Oth of last year, has reached this office and is ol a highly attractive nature * :, * ■«: * * A new method of adjusting chains has just been introduced by the famous Peugeot house Instead of the old left and right-handed nut placed on the radius rod mid\va\ between the driving sprockets and the back wheel, there is a ver\ neat adjustment provided on an extension of the radius rod which projects behind the axle. Not only is it more accessible but provision is moie easily made tor fitting a gear case ****** A five-ton steam wagon was landed in Dunedin a few da} s ago to the order of Messrs Ross and Glendinmg, who were first in the southern city to recognise the great saving to be made by the use of steam traction ****** The voracious parasitic insect, or spider, popularly known as a tick and familiar in most hot countries, has been scheduled in New South Wales as an undesirable alien, and strict watch is kept on the frontiei *o secure its exclusion \ Brisbane motorist with a 16 h p car was recently stopped at the lion tier b\ the local " tick inspector " and condemned to forty-eight hours quarantine while the car was undergoing the process of being smeared the regulation number of times with disinfectant $t Jfi -fc A *t« The Czar of Russia is the possessor of a bulletproof automobile, devised not for safet\ alone but for comfort as well It is fitted up with a chest of drawers, cabinet, easy chairs etc ****** In an advertisement m a contemporary , I notice that one satisfied member oi the medical profession in describing the merits of his particular car, gloats over the fact that his high-tension magneto is " gear-driven, and not, be it remembered, driven by chains or belts — another very striking feature in a small car " Certainly a belt-driven hightension magneto is a striking feature ' ****** Although the success of the recent Ol\mpia Show has reduced the interest taken by British motorists in the Paris Salon, there is no doubt the French exhibition will still attract automobihsts from all parts of the world Among Butish exhibitors will be Argylls, who are last gaming a footing on the Continent as well as in the Colonies Unavoidable circumstances prevented the inclusion of the new Strakei and Squire cars in the Tourist Trophy Race recent 1} held in the Isle of Man. Messrs Straker and Squire Ltd have therefore made arrangements for cariymg out a 4000 miles reliability trial under the auspices of the

Automobile Club so that, irrespectne ot the Scottish 1 rials, in vUnch tlic cars of Messrs StralvCl and Squire performed so satisfactorily, this club trial will enable the cars further to demonstiate their ments in the public eye ****** In a recent number of Progress weie descnbed the advantages of substituting steam motor wagons tor horse traction in the carnage of heavj goods It is gratifying to note that the satisfactory ing of those in use in nd, Wellington and C hnstchurch has caused numerous enquiries to be made for this class of vehicle #** * # * \ftei exhaustive enquiries and trials ot \anous wagons, by their engineer, the Rangitikei County Council have purchased a wagon from Messrs Norman Heath & Co , Wellington, who lepresent Messrs Sydney Straker & Squire, Ltd Three more of these wagons have been shipped to orders received from different parts of the Wellington Province * # * -k * -X British motor-car manufacturers aie just discovenng that it is necessary for them to build special cars for tropical climates It has now dawned on them that coach-work into which a good deal of glue, to say nothing of varnish neces-

sanly enters, although quite peifect lor home use, is ot no value m the East Many firms aie now importing motor cars into India and other of our great tropical and semi-tropical dependencies , so, unless buyers want to escape guevous disappointment, it is necessary in ordering a motor car to have a distinct undei standing that all the coachwork is to be constructed to withstand \er\ ditteient conditions from those obtaining in the home country „ ***** Judging by the increase in the use ot steam wagons it is safe to predict that the time is not far distant when by the use ol steam traction with electric, steam and petiol cabs, and other vehicles, the old Older will change the congestion of traffic will be minimised and we shall have our streets cleanei and more sanitary than at present * ***** Iwo ot the laigest motor omnibuses in New Zealand are about to be put into service in the Hawkes Ba} district fhe\ are constructed throughout bj Messrs J I. Thorn} croft ,v Co, and each lias seating capacit) for foity people. 1 lie engines have four cylinders and are capable of developing 30 lip The buses ha\ c been assembled and placed in running ordei b\ the Wellington and Wairarapa Motor Co Ltd at then new garasze 2 Cuba street, Wellington ****** Now that Luge strides ha\e been made m the realm of the industrial motoi \ehicle, the desiiabihty of standardisation ot paits is well woith

serious consideration by manufacturers The subject was discubsed at some length m Motor Ti action, and it was ad\ocated that standardisation should be adopted which would render many of the details on all makes interchangeable The matter, howe\er is attended with great difficulty Ihe Russell motor car is fast gaming populant\ in New Zealand, and the two interesting photos which we print in this issue, through the courtes\ of the agents, Messrs Magnus, Sanderson & Co , depict this make of car in two very useful forms viz. as a hockey and golf brake, and as a char-a-banc _Tlie Hockey and golf brake IS ma,cl*s to seat ten passengers comfortably, or, if required, it can be made in larger sizes. The horse-power is 1(5 to 24 The chai-a-banc is capable of seating twent) passengers and is of 24 hp A feature of both cars is that they are fitted with the Swmehart tyres, which are made on the solid principle, but ha\ c great resiliency and have proven highly satisfactory for very heavy services.