APRIL 18 rH, 1908.

B Journal publtsbet, in the interests of tbe mecbanicall\? propelleb roab carriage.

'EDITED BY H. WALTER STANER.

~ o. 652. VoL. XX.]

SATURDAY, APRIL 18 TH, 1908. LPRtCE 3D.

The Autocar.

(Published Weekly.)

Registered as a newspaper for tnnsmission in the United Kingdom¥

Enten d a s seCond-class m1tter in the New York (N.Y.) .Post Office

Editorial Office :

COVENTRY.

Publishing Offices :

20, TUDOR STRCET, LONDON, E .C., England.

CONTENTS.

~ OTES • • UsEFUL Ht:\'TS AND T1rs .. Tim LATEST 20 H .P. STANDARD CAR (ILLUSTRATED) Tu£ ENGLISH LoRRAINE·DIETRICH \\"oRKS • .

THE 0PES' FLEXIBILITY TRIAL ( ILLUSTRATED) 0N TI-IE ROAD-1:-J FRANCE (lLLVSTRATED) .• THE 90 1-1.P. (LASS RECORDS- H O:-,IE FROM 1:-.DIA THE R OOT OJ? H OSTILIT\' . . THE AUTO-RATCHET 5PA >l:-IEI< (ILLUSTRATED) .-\ RUN 0:-1' THE I O H.P. TURNER•fil11 :SSE. STEAM CAR (IL1.USTRATED)

"Am< 553-554

555 556-557

557 558-559 560-562

563 56.v565

565 566

!.ioME E.I.C. [GNITION SrECIALITICS ENTRIES FOR TH E I RISH A.C. TtHAL ~EW ZEALA~O TRIALS (ILLUSTRATED) • • ENTHIES FOR THE 8ROOKLANDS £ASTER ~IEETING CONTlNESTAL NOTES AND ).JEWS ( ILLUSTRATED) Tm~ R.A.C. ToURING D EPART'.\IEN"T CORRESPONDENCE • •

A SEVEN CYLINDERED PETROL E:-.c1:-;E llLLUSTRATED)

· · 567-569

570 571 572 573-576

576 577-580

581

CLUB DOINGS-THE ~ EW A UT0'1ATIC LOX(;t"EMARE (Al~BVRETTER 582 FLASHES 583-585 CASE·HARDEKING (ILLUSTRATED) • • 586-588 AN ELECTRICALL\' (ONTROLLED (OIL VIBIUTOR (ILLUSTRATED) . • 588 THE SCOTT-ROBINSON CARBURETTER (ILLUSTRATED) 589-590 THE ~lAUDSLAY S1X·CYLISD£R ENGINE (ILLUSTRATED) 590

Subscription Rates :

Briti:ih Isles, 16s. Abroad (thin paper t-dition) , 22s . Sd . per anm1m.

/

Notes. Inter-club Racing. It seems to us, after the success of the impromptu meeting got up by a few amateurs at _Brooklands last Saturday week, that some most interestmg events could be held by motor clubs on Brooklands. For instance, three or four clubs could take the grounds for a day .and have some e's:cellent sport by running a scratch race and a handicap on the track. In fact, for the matter of that, one club alone could pro\'ide a splendid a_fternoon's entertainment for its members on these Imes. The first event would be a scratch race with a prize fo r the fastest man, but everybody who wanted to take part in the handicap would have to take part in the scratch race, and whether he drove a 6 h.p. or 60 h.p. he ,1·ould have to dri1·e his hardest. Each man ,rould l,e timed and then we should ha1·e the handicap ,rith the fastest car on scratch and e1·ery other ca r given as ma,w seconds start of it as it ll'as sl01rer than the fastest car. - The thing is quite simple, the timing being much less complicated than that rc<]uired for an ordinary club hil I-climb.

There 1rnuld, of course, be a Yariation limit imposed. That is to . ay, if in the handicap the winning car improved upon its scratch time more than a certain number of seconds it would not be redited 11-ith its faster time, i.Jut 11·ould have to acceut its scratch time and resign its place to the next car·. \\'hat rnriation should lie a ll o11·ed 1roulcl ha1·e to be settled by consultation 1rith the Brooklands authorities, 1rho, from their timing records, could easily strik an aYerage as to ll'hat 1ras a fair 1·ariation 1rhen ,~ car was kept going its ha rdcst. There is no doubt that on this system some rt >a lly close finish es could be secured, and the only objection to it is the fact that the ars must cover the clistance t1rice, once in the prelimina ry cratch race aga inst time, 1rhich 1rould not be exciting, and once in the hancli ·ap based upon the results of the scratch race, which 1rould be intensely exciting, as the 6 h.p . ca;0th its allotted time· alloll'ance would haYe as good V_:1ance of 1rinning a. the 60 h.p.

Speed on the Road. f. ast 1H·ek 11·e published a letter from an automoi >ilist ,rho c mplainecl bitt rly of the disgracefully inconsiderate dri1·ing which too often take· place at ,reek-ends on the Brighton and Portsmouth Roads. To-day 11·e publish a letter from another automobilist ,rho makes certain suggestions for the regulation of traffic 11'11ich he thinks 11·ould 0\-ercome the difficulties. The Brighton ancl Portsmouth Roads are not the onlY ones upon II hich the reckless driving of a comparatively fe1r motDrists incom·eni t > nces ser·iously, if it does not actuall:· ernbnger, a ll otlwr users of the road. 11·hether they l.Je motorists, horse clri1·ers, cyclist , or pedestrians, but the1- are probably the 1rnrst examples.

\\'e, in common with a ll reasonable motorists, haw heid that high speed 11·as not objectionable on an open stretch of road upon which there was no other traffic. Unfortunately, there is a minority, small in compar!son ,rith the total number of motorists, who indulge in speed practically ,1·ithout considering anything except, perhaps, clouging the policeman. lt is e1·ident fro71 the 1rny some of them dr i1·c that even their own safet1· does not recei,·e very much consideration, much less th·L, safety or comfort of other road user . Such people as these generally tra,·el through towns and 1·illaµ; es too fast, sometimes much too fast, and to announce their passage they open their cut-outs ; but it is outside t01rns and villages that they put in their most deadly 1rnrk. They take corners at much ton high n sneecl. anrl often on the wrong side. LuckilY they rarely hit anything, but the dangers to which they subject other road users as well as themseln•s are absolutely criminal. When they meet or overt'lke any other 1·ehicle they ne1·er abate speed in the slightest.

It is only fair to say that disaster Yery i•ar ely orcurs,