FbI-il tnrr*rrionst Eusiness press Assmiares

27 ilOVEMBER 1969 VOL 131 No. 38EO

Edltor

Chie, Asl.t nt Edh6r

Asl.trrt Edito, Tmhr*c:] Edhor

Sportr Edhot

Al1 Edhor Faarum Edhor

PETER GAR]UTER LGOITARO AYTON ATUART BLADON GEOTFREY P. IIOWARD, I Scl Eng). ACG t ITIIES INCLAiID LIOXCL BUBRELL MARTIT LEWIS

Edhorld WABFEN ALTPORT

Mldard Edhor ll.mhort r Olficc Sp.cll Coinrlhnon ilortrrghte Oarac:tor

Edhod.l Dlnctot

MARTIN OWEFS MICHAEL SCARLETT OAVID THOMAS EOTryARO EVES HAROLO HOLT- AMIMI. AM,A€| RONALD BARKER ROGER HUNTINGTON. ASA€ {OstraitJ EOiN YOUNG /Sportl H. N. PRIAULX. M8f UAUNICE A, SMITH, PFC

MAIT FEATURES

PART 4: EVOLUTION OF THE SPORTS CAB t-oor

PAGE

BAC RAttY REPORT

AUTOTEST: LAI{CIA FULVIA l.G HF

USED GAR TEST: ALFA ROMEO 1600 1967 t9 A LOOK AT ROVEB:

MEIT OF BOVER

COMPAIUY HISTORY

DBIVING SOME OF T}IE OLD 'U'US

CURBENT RANGE

I.AND-BOVEBS

lneelt

2

tO

3:I

36

38

&

46

TOP ROVER ENGTNEEBS TALK TO AUTOCAR. I|() ROVEBS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEETU 55 CASE HISTORY OF THE z(xn 62

REGUI.AR ITEMS DISCOTI TT ECTED JOTTI N GS THE SPORT STRAIGHT FBOM THE GRID ilEWS AtrtD VTEWS TTEI,Y PBODUCTS TRADE AITID tiIDUSTRY CORRESPOTTDEITICE IUEW CAR PRICES l.a* pages before back cover

9 23 26 2t 31 85 87

I

NEXT WEEK'S ISSUE FEATURES

69

Publishod by ILIFFE TEANSPOiI PUBLTCATIONS LTD.. Da6oi Houlo. Sramtord SrDrt. Londs S.E.l. (Tclaphona: 01'928 3333, febgaa$: Ielatj Aut(ar llit6prd 25,137 Lordon). 8RANCH OFFICES: Covsnrry,,8-lO Corpo€tion Srroot /frbprorr..Co€ntry 262r0): Etmahohsm. 40l Lynton H@&, Walslil Rqd. Siminghrfr. 22b lfelophoDc: O21 Birchliold ,1838). /frkr, llift€pE8, Biroingham 338080). Merchde., Sl6rha6 Hdro, Tolbol Rosd, StEttord. Manchertor M32 OPE. ltelaphsne: 061"872 42111. Gtaogw, 2.3 Clsimdt G.rdooo. Glslgw C.3. lT"tephone: 041.332 3?92:041.322 8006l. Bri.rot, I 1 Elmdalg F@d. B riBtol I lferephone: Sri6rol 2 I 491 -2j3,. Subscriplis ,st€s: timo. I y6rt f8 lss; Ow@6!. I yoar 18 15s. 3 yoErs e22 5s; USA ard Camdr. I yosr 622, 3 ysrc $65. Chango ol nd&ots--pler& nots rhot f@r wool6' rdice ls roquirod togotho. whh tho r€tu.a ot s wrsppor boorlng the old rddB$. R6gis(Erod at ths Ge@ral p6t Otf@ ri i l,lowspqpsr Socof,d clas6 privilooes authori:od et New york. N.y, C lpc BusiM$ posr Ltd, 1969. Psrmlssion ro Bproduco illustGligm and lafierp.os inthisi@rnsl6nbogrontectonty oidor wri(en agreemonl. Briql onBcts or comhontg may be m8ds with dlo 6clnowltdgomont.

SIMPLER JUSTICE ?

WE HAVE, in the past. made the point that a great many so-called motoring "offences" are no more criminal than a child's idleness in class. and that to use the police to deal with such lapses is like using a 7lb hammer to crack a nut-and it brings them into disrepute, anyway. We are delighted, now, to see the matter taken up in the current issue of The Magistrafe the official publication of the Magistrates' Association.

ln an article "Enforcing Vehicle Tests". A. J. Brayshaw writes: "Every sensitive magistrate is troubled when the law requires him to punish defendants-usually motorists -whose offences arose from ignorance, mistake or ina.d- vertence. Such people had no knowledge or intention of offending, yet they feel that they are 'treated as criminals'. They naturally resent this, and it tends to undermine respect for the law in general. lt is therefore of real impor- tance to avoid these situations as far as possible, on grounds of simple justice and fair play, quite apart from the desirability of saving unnecessary work for the police and for the courts."

How true this is. We have once again quoted Ihe Magistrate at some length since this magazine is not for general circulation. and we feel it is important that motorists should be conscious of this official awareness of their feelings.

The author points out one or two common traps into which motorists can fall. Young people, for example, proud of their new cars, often let friends drive them without realizing that, with the cheapest form of insurance, they were covered only personally in their own vehicle. A friend might be guilty of driving uni6sulsd-and both, incidentally, of aiding and abetting each other. Many offences, he says, could be prevented if in these cases the certificates were boldly overprinted in red . . . with something to the effect that it covers only the insured person in the specified vehicle.

Another pitfall concerns the vehicle test, compulsory after three years and annually thereafter. Apart, of course, from those who purposely avoid the test, fearing that their cars may be faulty or irrepairable, how does the law-abiding second-hand car owner know when his car is due for testing, since second-hand cars may change hands often and test certificates get lost ? What's more, as Mr. Brayshaw says, people are muddled, preoccupied or forgetful-but it can end in a criminal charge. How much easier it would be for us if the date of the last test (or the date at which the next test falls due) were to be stamped indelibly somewhere on the car; and how much easier for the police to satisfy themselves whether the miscreant was guilty of a crime . . . or forgetfulness ?

It is heaftening to read of this enlightened thinking on the part of at least some magistrates. Could not this be taken a step farther ? One often reads, in reports of court cases, that people convicted of a criminal offence such as housebreaking, robbery or general mayhem, are given a suspended sentence. Provided they do not commit another crime within a specified period, no penalty is suffered. As many motoring offences are not, in themselves, really criminal, could not the suspended sentence system be applied to motorists. especially on a first offence ?