F " BRUARY 22ND. 1908.
THE. AUTOCAR a Journal pubhsbeb in tbe interests of tbe mecbantcall~ propelleb roab carriage.
EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 1908. [PRICE 3D.
The Autocar.
(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.
Editorial Office :
COVENTRY.
Publishing Offices :
20, TUDOR STREET, LONDON, E.C., England.
CONTENTS.
P AGE
XOTES
. . 257-258
C'SEFUL HISTS AND TIPS ( l LJ.USTl~ATED)
259
THE 14 H.P. VULCAS' CAR (ILLUSTRATED)
1:-ffER- CONNECTJOS" OF I GNITION AND EXTRA AIR Co~TROL
BROOKLANDS A.R.C.-R EVISION OF R A.CIXG RULES
. . 260-263
263
. . 264-265
A PERMANEST CtRCUIT D'AuvERGNE {lLLt;STl~ATED)
ON THE R OAD, B,· O WEN J OII N
266
. . 26i·268
JN THE HOUSE OF CO:\D10NS
, . . , . .
268
THE CADILLAC S TANDARDISATION TEST-LESSO~S OF THE HER-
KO ~IER .. .-.\SSOCIATESHIP OF THE'ROYAL A UTO)IOBI LE CLUB . . TRE 12 - 1 4 H.P. F ouR- C'a'Ll NDER DE DION (ILLUSTRATED) TOURING CAR STANDARDS A T YRE T EST-A NEW D ETACHABLE \\"HEEL SoME ACCESSORIES (ILLUSTRATED) . . CONTINENTAL N OTES AND N EWS ( ILLUSTRATED) . . A F RE!-JCH VIEW OF TH E ENGLISH .CRA:,,.'O PRIX £:-:TR I J:S . . M OTOR CAR T AXAT ION . . R ECORDS AGAIN BEATEN AT BROOKLANDS .. THE LACOSTE P ETROL GAUGE '(ILLUSTRATED) CORRESPONDENCE . . ~iOTOR T RANSPORT FOR THE (OLONlFS (CO:--'CLUDCD) SPEED LIMIT A PPLICATIONS F LASHES . . . . . . THE A UTO-SLIP (ILLUSTRATED ) - Gooo ROAD CON TRUCTION T HE F IRST SI X - CYLINDER W EIGEL ENGINE (lLLL'STRATED) ENTRIES FOR T H E 2 1000 MILES TR IAL. ,
\\THAT BECOllES OF OLD TYRES ?-THE I RISH T RIALS CLUB D01NGS SOME QUERIES A~D R EPLIES . .
269 269 . . 270-271 . . 272-273
273 274 . . 275-276
2 7 6 . . 277-279
:79 280 . . 2 I -2S6 . . 287-288
2~ti . . 289-290
29r 29r 291 :292 293 29~
/ ''"'" "" ,~ »=~::;~••I .,, M ~ ' .,.,m
Subscription Rates :
Provision for { umber Plates. In compiling the Appearance :-;-uml.iers of 1'/u ..:l.utoca-r, "·hich will appear on the 7th and 14th of :.larch, we have been very much struck by the absence of provision for the front number plate. r\ fte r examining the front \'iews of nearly 500 cars we only recollect two makes in which the space fo r the painting of the numbers is pro\·idecl on the front of the car itself. In one case the bottom of the radiator provides the requisite area, and in the other the space is half p rovided by the cross members of the frame and ha lf by the tank at the bottom of the rad iator. In both instances the method employed is exceedingly neat. \Ve leave it to the keen students of appearance \Yho pride them eh·es upon being able to identify almost any make of car they meet on the road to ay which are the two makes we refer to. One is a \·ery well -knom1 make of car indeed, and it has made provision for the front number for the last three or four years, but the other has not been so long before the motor world. \r ith the exception of these two makes, all other cars lea \·e the mrner to dangle his front number plate where and how he can. He may clamp or strap it on the axle, and sometimes he can fix it to the frame ; but the thing a hra ys looks more or less of an eyesore, and unless it is ,·ery \1·ell ftxed it is apt to come loose and rattle, e\·en if it does not drop off altogether. We admit that many a smartly designed front would be entirely spo iled if a space 1ras provided on the radiator or frame for the painting of the numbers, but these cases, and there are mam·, could be met if the makers 1rnuld p rm·ide number piates which properly fitted on to the ca r. For instance, many cars could ha,·e the number plate \'e ry nicely fi xed upon the front cro .. ~11embe1: of the frame, but to do this a little ingenuity is requuecl, and as a ne11· car cannot be taken out 1Yithout the numbers it o ften means that there is no time to exercise am taste in this dire tion .
...\.s to the back ;rnmbers. ca rs 11·ith pet rol tanks at the back ha1·e a natural space readY fo r the numbers. and e1·en if no back tank is fitted it ·is usually easier to arrange the back number secureh· and neath· than the front. S ext to tb e petrol tank. 1Ye a lways tl-iink the best "·ay is to ha1·e a black patch painted on t_he back of the car boch· 1rith the number painted upon it. If 11·ell clone. it disfigures the ea r as littl e as possible. and is far better than the separate plate. Of course. it depends on the design of the car. ·Mam· bodies are so shaped at th e back th at it cannot be c1·011 e, but ll'here it can b~ anagecl it is certainh· better than haYing a separate umber p late.
The oadmakers · Opportunity. Before long 1Ye shall be hearing the usual complaints about dust, and the roa d authorities will, as usual, proclaim their inabilitY to cooe with the nuisance. At the oresent time . many of the Urban District Councils'· roaclmenclers a re· busily engaged throwing dirt on the secondary roads under the impression they a re doing good. So fa r as the main roads are conce rned, thi . practice is 11011· practically unknown, except in one or two very benighted counties. Holl'ever, few e\·en of the most ach·anced road authorities seem to recogni se that betm,·en 11011· and the d rying up of the roads there is a magnificent opportunit~· for attacking the du t in a com·enient form. There is a lwa1·s a transitiona l period at the encl of the 11·inter when- the roads begin to consolidate, and it will be noticed that th middle of the road from 1Yhi h mo. t of the mud has been gradually squeezed tmrards the sides by the 1Yheels of the various 1·ehicles pa. sing over it Yery quickly drives and becomes absolutely fi rm, but for four or ft1·e feet on each side there will be for mile after mile half dried mud in the form of congealed ruts. These wide soft border. last sometime. for weeks ; it all depends on hmr rapirll~- the roads dry up , but, of course, it is only -a question of time before they become deep dust "hich is soon spread all 01·er the road. In
