j ANUARY 23RD, 1909.
THE AUTOCAR B Journal publtabeb in tbe intereata of the mecbantcall\? propelleb roab carriage.
EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.
No. 692. VoL. XXII.] SATURDAY, J ANUARY 23RD, 1909. [PRICE 3D.
The A utocar.
(Published Weekly.)
Registered as a newspaper for transmission in the United Kingdom. Entered as second-class matter in the New York (N.Y.} Post Office.
Three Editions every Friday.
The THREEPENNY EDITION, printed on Art paper. The PENNY EDITION, printed upon thinner paper, The FOREIGN EDITION, price 3d., printed on specially light bank paper for drculation abroad.
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COVENTRY.
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20, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, £ .C., England.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
NOTES , . . • • .
US~FUL .HINTS ANO TtPS
• . 105-106
. . . . • . . . , , . . I06- I 07
AN ENLIGHTENED COUNTY COUNCIL (ILLUSTRATED)-THE
GRAND PRIX DES VOJTURET1ES
ROYAL A.C. GENERAL CO,\DI ITTEE • •
. •
LA PETITE VOITURE BRASIER (ILLUSTRATED)
108
109
, . IIO•III
THE DEWAR CHALLENGE T ROPHY • • • • . . . . • •
III
TIIE PECULIAR REQUIREMENTS OF PECULIAR COUNTRIES. PART
I -SOUTH AFRICA, I NDIA, STRAITS SETTLE~lENTS, ETC. fly R. L. J EFFERSON • • • • . , . • • • ll 2 ·1I3 PART 2-AUSTRALASIA. BY PERCY HUNTER • • • • • • II4-115 THE ROYAL A.C. DRIVING AND PROFICIE:-i'CY CERTIFICATE (lLLUS•
TRATED) • •
ON THE ROAD • • • • • . • • • • • • • • ELECTRIC HEAD LA-'lPS FOR CARS-A D OUBLE-PURPOSE RDI
(1LLU5TRATED) • •
JI6
n 7
I1 8
1\IoTOR UNION N OTES
• •
n9
ON THE TRACK (ILLUSTRATED).. • • • • .. • • .. l2Q·I '.1l CONGRESS OF THE F EDERATION AERONAUTIQUE l NTERNATIONALE
(ILLUSTRATED) • .
I2I
A ERONAUTICS • • • • • , , • • , • • • • • • 1'22•1 ~4 THE DE K ORWJN-REBIKOFF ENGINE (lLLUSTRATED)-lMPORTS
AND EXPORTS OF :MOTOR CARS • • , •
125
SOCIETY OF MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS,,
126
CORRESPONDENCE..
, • I J l -136
SMALL CAR TALK • • • . • • • • • • . . • . . .
137
FORTHCOMING R.A.C. TRIALS-THE POSITION OF HEADLIGHT£
(lLLUSTRATED)-HORSE ANO TRAM ACCIDENTS-THE NEW FRENCH )lJLESTONES (ILLU5TRATED) CLUB DOINGS • • , • FLASHES (ILLUSTRATED) . . • • SO:,JE QUERIES AND R EPLIES , •
1:;8 139 , • 140 -141
142
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( Notes. Motor Cars Abroad. Under the heading of " The Peculiar Requirements of Peculiar Countries " we publish an article by :.fr. R. L. Jefferson, F.R.G.S., 11·hose knowledge of the conditions under which motoring i carried out 111 different parts of the world is unique. Indeed, 11·e uppose that only the indefatigable world motor tourist, :.Ir. C. J . Glidden, possesses a wider knowledge, and, so far a we know, he has not looked into the ques tion from quite the same practical standpoint as Mr. Jefferson . :,fr. Jefferson's article is also accompanied by an article by Mr. Hunter, 11·ho speaks for the Antipodes as a motorist and a r presentatil·e of the Gm·ernment of Nell' South Wales. Both the articles are exceedingly interesting, a they incidentally give much information upon the conditions under which motoring is pursued in the British colonies and dependencies. They are also of especial value to the manufacturer, who, speaking broadly, does not ahays show himself fully able to realise that the different conditions obtaining in many countries abroad necessitate a different type of car. We do not mean a car differing radically from those which ue in use at home, but one which ha. certain 1·ita l modifications, such as ground clearance, gear ratios, and methods of carburation and cooling. There are other requirements, but neglect of any one of the 1·ital points named may render a car absolutely unsuitable for use in the country to which it has been exported. Of course, neither \ Ir. Jefferson nor \ Ir. Hunter professes to cover the subject entire! y, and we shall 1relcome any further information with which our readers abroad feel disposed to furnish u . We are as anxious that they should possess cars a· fully suitable for their requirement as those owned by motorists at home.
In the early days of motoring everything was more or less in an experimental stage. The motorists at home who bought a car felt they were embarking upon an experiment, and sometimes- the experiment did not turn out successfully. hut . o far as home requirements are concerned this stage has long been pa sed, and as the success of the motor car abroad has shown, it is rapidly becoming a thing of the past there too. What motorists at home do not realise is the seriousness of a mistake or fai lure to the man 1rho may live half a world ,1 way from the car manufacturers, an l twice the length of England from the nearest repairer. This means that matters which a British motorist at home would r gard merely a an annoyance which would render the car unusable for a dav or t11·0 are, so far as the colonial is concerned, very serious matters indeed, and it is, therefore, necessa ry that any car 11·hicl) goes abroad should be suitable for the onditions under which it is to be use:I/as it is only by this absolute suitabilt that reliabyity can be secured.
The Passing of Tramcars. The appeal case heard on Tuesday, January 12th, Burton v. ::\ficholson, in the Divisional Court, settles for the time being the vexed question as to the side on 1rhirh a motorist must pass :i. tramca r. A summons ll'~s issued against the driver, Burton, under the L.G.B. regulations, made under the i\Iotor Car Act of 1 903, for having passed a tramcar proceeding in the same direction otherwise than on the offside. The Bradford stipendiary convicted . but agreed to state a case. The Lord -Chief Justice said that, on a trict construction of the section, he had to dismiss the appeal. Jn hi 1·ie11·, hmre1·er, the fact had been o erlooked . 11·hen th t > regulations were fram ed . that there were on certain roads vehicles that ran on fixed rai ls and were inrapable of lateral deviation. I t was very desirable that the regul ations should be amended at once after the form adopted in the To1n1 Police Clauses Act. He went on to observe that, when cases of that nature
