American Items

News is to hand of two runners in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. Lee Wallard was due to drive the ex-Villoresi Maserati that appeared in the 1946 race. It is now owned by a syndicate and required extensive repairs. The radiator, body, etc., were replaced and new valves, axle-shafts, etc., put in. The 42-mm. hubs were replaced by 52-mm. At Indianapolis nearly all the reserved seats, some priced at nearly £8 each, were apparently sold nearly a month before the race. Bothwell entered a 1914 G.P. Peugeot, this being the ex-Klein car, which Klein parted with after saying he would never dispose of it.

Two interesting articles appeared in the January Mechanix Illustrated. In one of them Tom McCahill outlined his dream car, calling for such features as outside spare wheel, normal wings, steering-wheel minor controls, tachometer and many other things that are the very reason why vintage enthusiasts in this country and America use vintage cars. McCahill states that American women influence car design and that their engineers at any major auto plant don’t like their cars any more — but are controlled by the sales division of their company. He calls for “a hood like a modified Maserati” and headlamps the real McCoy — either English Lucas or Marchalle.” The spelling is his! He also specifies long leaf springs instead of coil springs, “like the Rolls” [the modern Rolls-Royce has coil-spring i.f.s.! — Ed.] and “racing Rudge wheels similar to the Jaguar” [only the XK sports Jaguar hasn’t knock-off hubs — Ed.]. Engine? Why, choice of Ford V8 type or Offenhauser, the latter to give 120 m.p.h. and 100 m.p.h. cruising. Oh, boy!

Another article boosts our M.G. Midget most favourably without undue exaggeration — speed is given as 79-82 m.p.h. or 100 m.p.h. supercharged. The car is termed the Midget Giant and the “TC,” which costs $2,395 in the States, is said to out-perform any American car. Yes, our friends across the Atlantic honestly do their utmost to assist us in selling our cars.