CONTINENTAL NEWS

CONTINENTAL NEWS

H.AVING just rompleted a nd rou trip of 2,1100 miles through 1…r:ttice, Switzerland, Germany. Austria and IleIgituut I thought. yoti might like to 114.al, a 10 h’ :111010 NV1111.1 1 Saw ill I IV way of unolor-cars. Not Lite i.‘.(.1.ydny tliiiigs like Lativias. l’itroens. li.(11:11111,4 and Anwriean ears, with which Belgium abounds, but thy odd, interesting tn. out -4-the ordinary ears that one eannot help noticing when Hollowing is your way of life as well as your bobby. .ks ‘We had CO Carry SOIllr raving motorcycles along with us we took It tritiler anti used a 1948 Mild: to tow it, for there is nothing !teller than a modern Void( for eas?travel and for jucilhicig t laden trailer. VVItile I am the 01’Si t agree that a Ituiek is not it molor-car, to ottr %I:ay of thinking, it must be admitted that it is a practical form of transport for ettvering •100 miles in day, with all the cloblwr Iliat MI(‘ has 10 01h1′ tic race uuteetings. The only other way possible is it von, but you van 111.1011.1,’ at 611 m.p.h. all tlay ill a nor is a ‘-ati 511 hlr gui I hg about after the raring is over. Vitli a last look at the 1%w-sealer Veritas reposing iii lite garage we set off for France, the land or odd motor-cars. and it was not long before 1 found a real Itol d’Or in:whine. It was built in 19IS alld had a t ivicst rake single-cylinder engine mounted 8.110Vt. 11 1 WO-S111.1.11 LtillrlION, I lie V111011, assembly being fixed to the front wsle. ItriYe was by solid shafts to the front tvlicels and St el`rIllg was effected by pivoting the whole assetably atom a thrtmolt the venire of the engine. Ite radio!’ w /11So being at butted I o ill III’. The last I NO.NV Of this vchWly was or it disappearing down a lane, piloted by :t small boy who vomit’ not Nee over tlw

matt) ! Upturning to sattit?•. thy South or France :111Ordett numerous T? Ile 57 Iltigatti saloons and a. beautiful 57S Atlantic cotipV. 111’g:this of ittan?types still abound in France providing ?-ott keep tut eye open tar them and look in al doorways. and among the types I encountered were -14, .19. ‘Brescia and 57. In the garage iii which we put the car one night was a homy-brewed special based on it 1,50n-e.e. six-cylinder FIAT, very much after the style or a LesterM.G. Vintage Delage and lIotelikiss ears wen. numerous, but were not con

sidered vintage by 1.1w they were just good cars that, had not yet worn sullieiently to justify being replaced.

In SNvitzerland the motoring interest took on an entirely different asptst. for tht• accent. was on brand-new cars and special bodywork. One of the firs’ cars I saw in Berne was a beaillifully twat two-seater. wItieli I fell inust be a FIAT or a Lancia. but imagine my surprise Nelten it turned out to be an Austin Atat. It 1VaN !owe that 1 sww my first Porsche. a very pretty little open two:four-seater and just behind it Netts a spetial-bodied Logo-Talbot that had come front the (;eneva Shove. Ordinary Logo-Talbots and Ih•laltuyes are so popular Out( you told lo stop looking at them, while I had given up looking at 2.5-litre Alfa

By Our Special Correspondent • •

• • • Itomens long since ! Itefore leaving Berm. I Itad a twill’ glimpse of ‘• Ilw old folks at home ” when I eaughl sight of a

lieniley : yes. a real liettlley jut Iterne. I think it Was Stanley Sedgwieli.: it certainly looked like his eau! Icu 7.111’11’11 I ratite ;wross a second series Lambda. still siI hi -beaded edge hoots 111111 torpedo body, lull of young Swiss people. ‘S’S lot they appreeiated ttluil they Ns•Yre riding iti. or whether it

juist all 0111 car. I fli. 110i kill/NV. or three Type 32M 11.:11.1V .s were seen and 011(‘ particulorly sina.rt looking MU’. Wit It fancy wheelcliscs, turned out to be not quite NO 2O0(1., 101′ 11 had a 326 engine in place of the real cuttine. A surprising windier of TI I 11.(i.s very about mut al the ritees al !term. NV:IS a Vatic1/10’WO TU as %veil as some very neat little Nartli-ltancse ears tvit Ii FIA.T I.100 c.c. engines. Going into .‘ itst ria t he ilinottity of ex-en normal cars was noticeably smaller and German cars were predominattl. though .‘cros and T:ttras were numerous. including Wally early ‘I’atras. Speeial ears were still to be Seel!, or I eanu• across atwitter Porsche, 1111 early model this film.. tvillt :t folly streamlined Iwo-sealer SalOoll hold ‘ wit Ii all the NVIll’els 111111 11 FI.Vr 1,100 t.1•.. N%’il 11 a 11.01111.-11111111’ 111111111 NIA. It.gli …..a. saloon boil?•. ()11 our way back through; Germany I could not help being impressed by hvo things. lirst the vast, inlaid it?• of ‘olkswagen to lw seen. and secondly the neatness or the 2.3-litre Nterei’ik’s salOO11, ‘1111.1111, ‘1;00111 appear to be hi quantity proiluetion judging by the number I saw on the road. Near Nitwit-It 1 saw a, 5.101i: Nlereetles in full flight, and 011 1111. Autobahn, Odle ‘,vu’ Aver(‘ trying mil our Heirtisin»./ 11.11.1V. niotor-eycic. ci spevial sports raying i•car”gin”‘ Vni”wttgett NVrtli I IN in the other direetion. In travelling across Germati?,• Ii’. .11illb:11111 ill1C 1’011141 111/1 help marvelling :i1 colossal undertaking the construction of such roads must have been and luny puny the construction of an aerodrome rtinwAy is in comparison. 1Ve cm•ercil over -tnn miles on 1 he A11111huhu,. cruising for hour after hour at 61) m.p.h.. and thmigh. I thought it was going to he boring I found it exaetly the opposite, for the edges: of the routes; are not cluttered with athertisenietut hoardhugs and driving is so easy that one can comfortably lake in the Ivonderful views of I lie German vomit rysille Odle 1.111.killg along. As you would expeet :128 11.:11.1V.s were numerous. Neltile I 111Stt N11’1V two of t lie

75(1-c.e. Veritas mopes that are 111OV ill production. I)ropheall Type 327,811 11.NI.W.s. tehich must stirtly ft, Hull’ or the hied’s! 1.11IN es-er cotweived for ordinary motoring. were abundant mid I ‘WO or 1 lo• rare Type 83.5 models were seen, these being the :11-lit ii’ saloons. Leavint, t he ,Iitobalin at 1:6111 try traversed ordinary roads 011 Saila. or the worst cui. I have ever etwoutitered and returned to Itylgiimi. the land of ” drifting clouds (American ears to you!) and on the way hack to liruxelles

I •WaN relvarded with a ‘t onderful sight of a Standard Vanguard Mal land 4Its-tt eonvertett into out ire-ere:on wagon, eomplete with frilly canopy. The point of utsicig 1111 .nieriean car Wits emphasised when we arrived Inane Wit 2.000 On SpertIolitet ti’, htcivuiug (1.01/e 11011101g 10 1 he ItIlhtk except pour in petrol. oil alld NV:111T it hcciul Wilk(‘ 15 cwt. behind it :ill the time so etTortlessly that one tvas (.0t1S1’11111K Of it, Inu Whitt 1011, if 1 told the total mileage the car has thaw since fte‘v, without having the 101101(4h iuu it 11:11’11 t Cu I ccl just’,