,

S EPTEMBER I 9Tll1 1908 •

THE· AUTOCAR a Journal publtsbeb in tbe interests of tbe mecbanicall\2 propelleb roab carriage.

EDITED BY H. WALTER STANEq.

No. 674. toL. XXl.] SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19n1, 1908. [PRICE JD.

since it 11·ill be impossible to produce the penny edition of the journal at the same relati,·e cost as the more expensi1·e one.

AN /EXTRA EDITION OF H THE AUTOCAR/t In consequence of the termination of the agreement between the .\fotor Union and the Royal A.C., which provided for the publication of .\lotor Li nion notices in the Cliib Jowrnal and the free c irculation of that journal among .\lotor Union members, the .\lotor Union has made arrangements 11·ith the proprietor~ of 1'he A utocar for a specia l edition of this journal to be printed each week . This the Union intends to supply free of all cost to each of its individual members, of which there are some fi1 ·e oc six thousand, and it will therefore form an additional privilege of member hip. It has been arranged that a page each 1reek shall be resen-ed for the usr of the :tvlotor Union, which 1ril l enable 1he secret,t:·1· to keep the membership in particular and the mow/ing world in general informed of its ,·arious activities.

\\"e should perhaps add that one of the most satisfactory features concerning 1'he Autocar is that each ye:ir since it 1rns established the circulation of the journal has exceeded that of the previous year, and considerably more copies are being produced and sold to-day than 1rns the case a yea r ngo. It ,ms therefore 1rith considerable he itation that 11·e arranged to print an extra edition, 11·hich 1rnuld entail heavy additional expense. It was, however, obviously impossible for the Union to include our regular edition in its pri1·ilege. of membership on account of the cost, and, rea lising the exceedingly trying time the industry ha recently experienced, we felt that some ~pecial effort on our part 1rnuld be well timed . \Ve say th is 1rith no idea of parading a virtue, but rather to maize our position clear to our readers, as we ahra,·s li ke to take them into our confidence when making any ne11· departure.

The arrangement betlreen the .\Iotor Union aml 1'he Autocar i purely of a commercial nature, and doe not in an:, 1rny affect the editorial policy of th,, paper. \Ve ha,·e from time to time felt it necessary to criticise, sometimes severely, the action. of the 1·arious clubs and associations connected 11·ith motoring, and ire 11·ish it to be understood that ,re shall in the future, as in the past, a lways jealously guard our right of free criticism . In other 1rnrds, our attitude of independence will he in no 1ray a ffrcte I by the new arrangement.

This special edition of 1'he Aiitocar will be an exact reproduction of the present weekly edition, except that it 11·ill be printed on thinner paper and sold at one penny. .-\sit might cause dissatisfaction to some of our r aders if 11·e did not offe r them similar copies ::it the same price, should they so desi re, ,re have reserved to ourseh·es the right to supph· copies of this special edition throu~h the u. ual channels. \\"e belie1·c:, however, that few of our reg ul a r subscribers anrl reader, "·ii I re] inriuish the thre2pe111w eclition for the , heaptr one, though, no doubt, the cheaper edition will be appreciated b~· buyer;; of bookstall < "{l!J ies anrl other o,C'asiona I reaclers.

The ne11· arrangemu1ts 1rhich ha,·e been made 11·ill r! isnose of th::- nec-essit,· of the \ Iotor l,"nion estab li sh inu· a ,reeklY naner of its mrn. ,l"l,:cb a• ")11 ° ti'11 · 11·as not improbable. 01rinri: to the termiP:1tin11 ..f the agreement referrefl to ahn\-P. In fac-t . it 1r~, " llJ' main C'omideration in entering into this arrangemc:nt. hecause- ,re felt that :it the oresent time the tendency shou ld he towards rnnsolidation: and that neither 1he int?rE >sts of the motor user nor ;-naker ,rnulrl hP h0 ,t sern•d hr the estahlishment of a new journal. for 11·hiC'h th.t" re was no actual need. As · it is. both bm·er anr! manufa,turer will benefit. as the Union mPmbers will recei,·e 1'he Aittocar each ,Yeek . and th t > motor trade will ensure reaching them a ll without additional cost. for nracticalh· the 11·hole in rlustr· alreach- makes use of the colum-ns of 1'he A1itocar.

From a fin;inc-i al noint of ,·1e11· 1'hP A11torar itselt " ·ill hp thP onh· sufferer hy this ne11· arramrement,

The extra edition of Th e Aulocar 11·ill be issued on and a fter Saturday, O, tober 3rd.

I Notes. Mechanical Progress. There i~ a tendenc1· among some motorists to assume that motor ca rs ha1·e rea ched a stage of development 1rhich is so near the closest approximation to mechanical perfection 1rhich man can attain that. to all intents and purp9ses. impro1·ement of the motor car has arri,·ed at a standstill. and further ad,·ances can onh­ be made in details or in durabilitY. This 1·iew is not held lw any motorists of experience ,rho a re able to appreciatt > the difference het11·een a 1·ery good car and one 11·hich is mereh· good. but if any direct e1·idence of the fact that cle1·elopment and impro1·ement a re far from completed be reriuired. 1Ye ha1·e only to refer to the action of a firm of pioneer British manufacturers deai t 11:ith e lse,rhere to-daY in our column . After careful xreriment,;; extencl ii,g over a year. they have .,ati,ficd themseh·es that it is po sible to make a practical all-round impro,·ement on the hitherto uni- 1·e rsalh· used mushroom valve and tappet gear. The excit irn.! c;-iuse > of this imprm·ement is 1·ery interesting. and it is another example of the 1ml" in 11·hich one good car inspi res the makC'rs of another to still further efforts.

I ooking hack1rard a little, ire find the steam car ,ms the onh· moderateh· riuiet car made. but it acted as a great it1C'enti,·e to tlie petrol car makers. and the sixc1·lindn engine 11·a5 to a ,·en· la rge extent the direct consequence of the riuietness of the steamer. as the heautiful1'· smooth anrl silent running of the steam car made it de. irable. if not necessa rY. to attempt to equal it by means of an internal combustion engine. Th_t!n. on its pa rt. the six-cylinder brought ahout further and