!Il7 -a

THE AL]TOCAR B 3ournal pubtieheD in tbe interegts of tbe mechantcalt! propetleD roaD csrrlage.

EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.

No. 48,1. Vor. XIV.I SA'IURDAY, JANUARY z8rH, r9o5. [PnIcn 3o

TITE AUTOCAR.

(Published Weekly.)

Regrstered as a newspaper for transmission in the Unlted Kingdom. Entcred as scond-class,:matter at th. New York (N.Y.) Post O.6 c.

EDITORIAL OFFICE :

COVENTRY.

PUBLISHING OFFICES:

zo, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, 8.C., ENGLAND.

CONTENTS.

PAG E

NoaBs: 'fHE INFLUENCE oF RELIATILITY Tnrars-Fonptcl Cers rx

BBrrrsH TRTALS ... -..

UsEruLHrNTsANoTrps: HowtoOvpeueurACAR(illustrated) ... lO7 Tse Dereurrv-BELLEvTLLE C^RS (illustrated) ... I08-I09 lloron Cen TRACK RACING rN LoNDoN-NIoroR 'BusES roR THE

Roeo Can Co.

OccASToNAL Gossrp. Bv " THE AurocRAT

Tsc Delur-Boueav Tnrars (illustrated)-THE TRI^Ls l{EvIEwED BY

105-106

.. ... II0

.., ... III

A. Cencrrr GENTRY-A PRoTEST AGArNsr rflE AWARDS ll2-ll7 'fBE Cosr or Buvrxc AND RUNNING A CaR ... ... ... II8 'fus New 15 H p. ORLE^NS C^R (illustratedl ..- ... ... rI9 AuroMoBrLE EXHIBITIoN et Btussrrs (illustrated) .. 120 THE SMALL C^RS rr rHp INorer Trrtls l2r-I22 'fHE RENour Vearanrr SPEED GEAR (illustrated) ... ... -.- ... 122 Tas Nsw RovER 6 H.p. SM{LL CAR (illustrated) ,.. ... 123 MoroR SERvrcE IN LAKELAND ... 124 CoRREspoNDENcE: NoN-sxrps-AcETYLENE IN CoMBINATIoN WITH

ALcoHoL ron Moton CARS-HoRsE-powER or CARs-BRtrIsH CAR EXpERTENcE-THE FRENcH PRoposaLS TRIALs BY THE Aurouoerrr Crue-AovERTIsEMENT a. Sronr -Stur-srrr llp Ttvrstgo CRANKSHAtsT-BRITTSH f)Epor rN AMi:RIcA-Cosr or RUNNTNG A C^R-EXpERrENCE wrrH A Srrru Cee-Duantx or Covptso CARs-Dr: DroN C^RS-MoroR CARS IN NEw Zeeueno-A MrscHtEvous erp DeuoEnous Prrcrrcs-A Rr:rereen's Cou- PLATNT ... 125'128 THE I8 H.p THnEc-cvr.tnoeq Btlstze Cen (illustrated) ... ... 129 IjRANC& AND rss Gonpot-BTnNETT RACE I30-I3I REPLY To Brrtrsx Pnotusr '.. I3I F-LASHES AND " THE AurocAR " DIARY ... l3Z'I34 HEAvy VEHTcLE REGULATIoNs-AuroMoaILE Cuue Rr:rrlslrttv

SoME QuEr

'fnrers-Tsr BIRMTNGHAM MoroR SHow

CaR-ARrEs AND REaLIEs: STaAM CAR Botlcns-Rs_r:'c;Irrlo t

DURYEA trr-FREEzINc MlxruRE-Loss or Porven-Tue ENGLISH C^R-Hor ExHAUsr PrpE-GrAR RATIos ... 136 Norrs ox rue PlnIs S^L,'N, 1904 :.. ... 137 Psrnor Moror CARS, By FRANK LITTLE (illustrated) ... .,, I38-140 CLUa D9TNGS ... ... ... .,, I40 Sr)ME RECENT PATENTS (illustratedl : A CoMPoUND SPRING SUsPENSIoN

... ... I.l5

-Tsr Derrrs WoRM DRtvE-As oLDSrroaILE CepaunEtret- Tse Wrstrucuouse ClnsutettDR-fo FACILITATE Geet Cglxcrxc... ... ... I4l lloroR WAGcoN UsERs'AssocrATtoN ... ... I42

.,THE AUTOCAR '' SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Britistr lsles, I6s. Abroad (thin paper edition), 22s. 8d. per annutrt.

-/ Notes..l

The Influence of Reliability Trials. Last rveek, when discussing the attitude of the industry tou'ards reliabilrtv trials. rve poittter t out that the majority of mattufacturers and sellers of cars were entirely < .rpposed to relialrilitv trials because thev believed that ther' \vere a wa^ste of time and money. We alsc, pointed out that while this might be the makers' view of the case, it lvas not worth-v of final acceptance, even bv the makers themselves. unless it wao krrrrrvu uhether reliability trials influenced the amateur motorist in his selection of a car. Ilowever much the makers might be opposed to reliability trials, they would undotrbterllv consider it desirable to take part in them if the1, i<new that their cars would not sell unless ther had participated with some success in reliability trials. With a view to finding out the absolute facts of the matter, and the actual worth of reliability trials, we invited our readers last week to be good enough to write to us, stating why they selected and bought their present cars. We have to thank a very large ruumber of reaclers for their interesting and valuable resl)()nses to orlr crrquirr; thev are full of interest, and will, rve think, be most useful to those rvho are hesitating in their opinion as to the advisability of holding reliability trials. These letters and postcards setting forth our readers' reasons for buying their cars are co,ntinuing to come in bv every post, so that s,e make no attempt for the moment at analysis or classilication'in order to give any definite proportions. Suflice to sav that from a rough count it rvould appear that reliabilitl' trials have very little influence indeed upon the purchaser, and that when they do influence the automolrilist's choice. it is generally only in regard to the purchase of his first car. After that, the motorist is guirled by his own observations of the running and behaviour of the cars of his friends, which he has mo're or less under his observation.

As rve have said, these ietters are many of them rurost interesting, and we hope to publish a small selection of them in the course of a. week or t\.vo. As rve rvish to have the census as complete as possible, rve shoultl ijreatly appreciate the favour if those rerclers rvho have not vet replied to our querv will do so. The more they' like to tell us the more we shall l-le interested, but to tho,se to rvhom time is of import- tnce, we need only say that a postcard giving a short replv to the question " Why did you select your present iar?" u,ill be sufficient for our purpose. In short, we r,vish to have some evidence from actual private owners as to the causes u,hich influenced them in the choice of their cars, with special reference to the m&tter of u'hether or no,t (her were guided by the nerformances of carJ in nublh reliahilitv trials. l'J

Foreign Cars in'British Trials. Last. week. Mr. Claude Johnson gave notice that at the rneeting of the committee of the Automobile Club on Februaiy 6th he rvottl<l move trro resolutions. The 6rst is: "that iu vierv o[ the recent a,ction taken by the Automobile (llub of li'rance rvith a vierv to' giving !'rerrch cars special aclvatttages as compa.rerl with cars mat.le in other coutttries in the principal motor competition held ir.r lirattce, the Automobile Club of Great Britain should at on<'e take steps to give special advantages to British-nrarle cars as comparetl rvith foreignmide cars in all competitions held under its tules." Having laid rlowrr the principle. the second makes a rleEnite propositiun : " I'hat the r:ompetition regulations and the rules for the Tottrist 'frophy shall be altered to provide that irr all motor competitions held in this r,'our-rtry not more than tlvo cars marle itt any one foreign country shall be errtererl for everv five Ilritish cars enterecl. "