SEPTEl.lBER 9l'H, 1905,
THE AUTOCAR B Journal publisbe~ in tbe interests of tbe mecbanicall)? propelle~ roa~ carriage.
EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.
No. 516. VoL. XV.] SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH, 1905. [PRICE 3D.
TflE A UTOCAR.
(Published Weekly.)
Registered as a newspaper for transmission in the United Kingdom.
Entered as second-class matter at the New York (N.Y.) Post Office.
EDITORIAL OFFICE :
COVENTRY.
PUBLISHING OFFICES :
zo, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E.C., ENGLAND.
CONTENTS.
NOTES: THE TOURIST TROPHY RACE-Too MANY ASSOCIATIONS THE TOURIST TROPHY R ULES EXPLAINED SOME TOURIST TROPHY CARS (illustrated) BY MOTOR TO CONSTANTINOPLE ... MOTOR RACES ON S KEGNESS SANDS (illustrated/ OBSERVING THE ECLIPSE FROM THE AIR
P AGE • • . 295 296-298 299-307 .•• 308 309-310
310
CONTINENTAL NOTES AND NEWS (illustrated): ELECTRIC TOURING
CARS- A PRACTICAL O&MONSTRATION-T HE ROYAN MEETING- THE
BRESCIA MEETING
A GooD SET oF LAMPS (illustrated)
3Il-3l2
312
CORRESPONDENCE: THE NEGLECTED TOURIST-THE EVERY-DAY
UTILITY CAR-A LADY'S EXPERIENCE ON A SIX-CYLINDER ROLLSROYCE- MAGISTRATES DISCREDITED - COLONIAL M AGISTRATE'S JUSTICE tillustrated)-SPKEDOMETERS-THE ADVANTAGES OF PNEUMATIC TYRES-STARTING ON HEAVY FUEL-MOTORPHOBIA AT JOHANNESBURG- TAXATION BY HORSE-POWER-UNREASONING PREJUDICE-REPLACING GEESE AND CHICKENS (illustrated}-S uPiin.tARY OF OTHER C ORRESPONDENCE . • • 313-315 USEFUL HINTS AND TIPS. By Lieut. Windham, R.N. 316 THE PUBLIC AND THE MOTORIST 1illustration) 317 CASUAL COMMENTS. By A J. Wilson ... 318 TIMES JN THE G.-B. ELIMINATING TRIALS-A CONTACT BREAKER FOR
NON-TREMBLING COILS {illustrated) • • . FLASHES ...
319 320-322
CLUB DOINGS (illustrated): ScoTTISH A .C. (WESTERN S&CTJON)
SALTBURN MEET POSTPONED-DORSET A.C.-BRITISH MOTOR BOAT CLUB-THE LEGISLATION A.ND DEFENCE FUNDS-HULL AND DISTRICT A.C.-INTER-CLUB M ERT OF KENT AND BLA.CKHEATH A .C.'s.-CLu s FIXTURES SOME QUERIES ANO REPLIES
323 324
"THE AUTOCAR " SUBSCRIPTION RATES : British 7• 16s. Abroad (thin paper edition), 22s. 8d. per annum.
J Notes. The Tourist Trophy Race.
On another page we give the regulations of the tourist trophy race with certain explanatory notes, so that the in tent and purport of each rule may be made abundantly plain. As we have said before, the tourist trophy race is the fi rst attempt which has been made since the imposition of the 1 ,000 kilogs. limit three years ago to institute a competition which, while being a genuine race, shall make it impo sible for exceedingly high-powered machines to be used. At the same time it is necessary to bear in mind that the tourist trophy rules do more than this. They not only banish all engines of monstrous power, but they exclude the featherweight chassis and the stripped chassis, and they also make it incumbent upon the competitors to carry a load which approximates to the average weight which cars in everyday use are called upon to bear.
The first race is admittedly of an experimental character, and there has never been a more open contest in the annals of automobile sport. Any speculations as to which will be the winning machine can only be looked upon as the wildest of guesses. Thii uncertainty is brought about by many conditions, but the main condition is unquestionably the fuel limit, as right up to the last there will be the probability of one or other of the leading cars failing to finish for lack of fuel.
At the moment of going to pres , we have not details 9f all the competing cars, but we are pleased to say that, so fa r as we have these details-and we art > in possession of them concerning the great majority of the cars-freaks are conspicuous by their absence. Certain modifications are made from standard practice, some of these deviations being of a most striking character, but none of the cars can fai rly be regarded as freaks. However, there are one o•r two dark horses which may or may not go to the post. As was pointed out in our last issue, the development of the freak is more like! o come gradually in subsequent years, as compe · ors discover what a.re the qualities which give the ompeting machines special advantages under the tour· t trophy rules.
Too Man Associations. At the present time there appears to be a disposition to found associations or societies in opposition to the Automobile Club. Within the last few weeks two such organisations have been brought into existence. So far as we have been able to gather from their prospectuses, they have no aims which are not already sought and effectively carried out by the Automobile Club and the Motor Union. One association has as its primary object to secure impartial justice to all users of the road; the other is apparently mainly concerned in representing, protecting, and furthering the interests of the general body of motorists who use their ca rs for pleasure and touring as distinct from purely trade and speed purposes. Both these aims are good. but the ground is already covered by the Automobile Club and the Motor Union.
If it is felt by those concerned in the founding of new associations that the club falls short in any waythere is evidently a feeling of this kind in the air, or the new associations would not have been formedit appears to• us the wisest course would have been to endeavour to reform the existing institutio ns, and not to found new ones. It is far better to have a strong club and a strong union than to have several mediocre organisations which are neither very strong nor \·ery influential. We do not for a moment infer that the club cannot be improved. We think it can, but the way to improve it is to become a member and work hard to bring about the improvements, and not to found ri\·al institutions. So with the Motor Union. At the present critical juncture attention is much more likely to be paid to the representations of one or two powerful organisations than to the chatterings of half a dozen societies . no two of which are clamouring for exact!_" the same thi ng.
