NOVEMBER 11TH, 1905.
THE AUTOCAR B Journal publisbe~ in tbe interests of tbe mecbanicall\? propelle~ roa~ carriage,
EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.
No. 525. VoL. XV.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER IITH, 1905 . [PRICE 3D.
THE AUTOCAR.
(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 :
20, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E.C., ENGLAND.
CONTENTS.
P.,GE
NOTES: THE AUTOCARS OF 1906-FtNANCJAL MATTERS - THE SPEED
OF TRAMS ... THE New TOURIST TROPHY RuLEs THE IRIS 25 H.P. CHASSIS (illustrated) MIDDLEToN's PNEUMATJC Hua ti11ustrated) GENERALITIES. By Rutulan THE EIGHT-CVLINOER ROLLS-ROYCE LANDAULET (illustrated} A METALLIC WHEt.L tillustrated) .. . To PREVENT FREEZING A New ALL-BRITISH C~R (illustrated) THE MARSHALL VALvg GEAR
THE DRIVER QUESTION
571-572 ... 573 574-576 ... 576
577 578-580 .. . 580 ... 58! 582-585
585
... 586
To C ONSTANTINOPLE: THE DRIVE S ucCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED 586 FUTURE TOURIST TROPHY CARS (illustrated). By F, Strickland . 587-588 THE AUSTIN CAR 588 USEFUL HINTS AND T1Ps. B y Lieut. Windham, R.N. 589 CONTINENTAL NOTES AND NF.WS: THE NEW DRIVING REGULATIONS IN
FRANCE-AGE AND HORSE POWER ...
590
CORRESPONDENCE: USING ENGINE AS BRAKE-THE EVERY-DAY U TILITY
CAR-BRITISH MANUFACTURER~ AND THE COLONIES- A DANGEROUS ROAD-PROPOSED SPE:ED LtMIT JN LLANDUDNO-CVCLIST PATROLS ON HIGHWAYS-BRIGHTON TO EDINBURGH ON TOP GEAR -OLYMPIA SHOW CLOAKROOM-SIZE: OF TYRES AND WHEEL RIMSLED HORSES-MOTORISTS AND THE PoLICE:-SPEED INDICATORSSUMMARY OF OTHER CORRESPONDENCE . 59 1·594 THE NUMBER OF CYLINDERS. By H . 0. Duncan 595-596 UP THE C AT AND FrDDLF. HILL ON Top SPEED 596 THE New CLIMAX CAR (illustrated) ... 597 A SPEED LtMIT: PRO ANO CON ... 598 FLASHES AT OLYMPIA ... SOME QUERIES AND R~PLIES VANADIUM STEEL FOR M OTOR CoNSTI\UCTION (concluded I CLUB DOINGS ...
599-600 . .. 601 .. . 602 603-604 . .. 604
" THE AUTOCAR " SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
British Is les, 16s. Abroad (thin paper edition), 22s 8d. per annum.
( Notes. The Autocars of 1906. On two previous occasions immediately preceding the great motor show of the year, we have published a list of all the leading cars of the day, with particulars concerning them set forth in tabular form. For the convenience of our readers, the cars are classified according to price, as this appears to be the most appreciated method of classification. When the shows were smaller, we used to publish a fo recast, which gave some few particulars of the leading exhibits. but now that they have gr01rn to such huge dimensions work of this kind is no longer appreciated, because 1t is practica ll y useless unless absolutely complete, and it is impossible in the time aYailable tor its compila-
t ion to make an absolutely complete forecast to the show. Further, it is only of limited interest to those who visit the show, and is quite useless to all who do not. On the other hand, the list of cars for the )ear is of the greatest serl'ice to all show visitors, and equally interesting anJ useful to those 11"ho do not attend the show.
The particulars gi1·en in the list wh.ich will be published next 1reek, on the opening day of the show, and, as a feature of the next issue of The .dutocar, will include horse-power and name of car, name and address of maker or agent, number of cylinders, bore and stroke, re1·olutions per minute, fo rm of transmission, number ot speeds. number of seats, weight unladen, and price. The demand for the issue containing the list, "The Autocar. of 1905," was so great that we were compelled to print the list separately, and every one of these rEprints has long since been disposed of. We believe th.at the new list will be at least as interesti ng and useful to automobilists as the t\rn which hai<,e preceded it. "Financial Matters.
Within the last t1rn or three weeks more than one highly satisfactory balance sheet has been issued by motor manufacturing and other companies intimately concerned in the automobile industry. This is as it should be, and no one rejoices more than ourselves to record it, as we have always maintained that the automobile industry should be at least as profitable as any other branch of mechanical engineering. Its perio<l of probation has been a long one, and fo r many years most of those concerned have had to be content either 1rith a loss upon each year's working or a very small profit indeed . There haYe been brilliant exceptions, but, speaking generally, the results fr om a shareholder's point of view have not been Yery e ncouraging till recently. There is no question that several businesses would haYe reached the profit-earning stage earlier had they been adequately financed, but it has been quite impossible for them to obtain further fun ds.
Capital ha . with a very few exceptions, been very shy indeed of the motor industry. Though perhaps perfectly willing, not to say anxious, to dabble in gold mines which exist only upon a map, capitalists have haken their heads solemnlv when investment in the motor industry has been broached. This attitude will graduall y change-in fact, is already changing, and so long as it becomes recognised that motor manufacture is a sound investment well and goorl. What we realh· have to fear more than shortness of capital is surplus of it , as these things go in cycles, and a fe11" more satisfactory balance sheets will very likely entirely change the oprnion of the public as to the desirability of i111·esting in motor securities. Instead of holdinf' aloof they will be inclined to rush in. and t he movement known as a boom might be started. Everyone who has the 11·elfare of the motor at heart should fight a.gainst this, because booms haYe never yet done anyone any good except just a few lucky speculators. but the harm the1· do does not . unfortunate h·. en(l 1Yith loss of the . .
