ANOTHER SPEEDWAY FOR GREAT BRITAIN ?

Another Speedway for Great Ii ritain ?

interesting scheme for the construction in the Isle of Man of an eight-mile speed track and other tracks suitable for road race courses was brought forward a short time ago. The suggestion was that the Curraghs, a large area of bog and swamp in the northern part of the Island, should be drained, and that on the reclaimed land, a motor track, an aerodrome, and other attractions should be built. The task of draining appears less difficult than that of reclaiming a large stretch of foreshore by building a seawall, as is to be done in Lincolnshire and, if it is carried through, will add greatly to the attractions of the Island, besides providing employment to a large body of men. The value of racing in improving the breed is widely realised, and it is hoped that support will be forthcoming for a plan which will materially assist manufacturers in

their efforts to keep English cars and cycles in their present state of supremacy.

Captain Phillips and Mr. S. C. H. Davis, oti. behalf of the R.A.C. have recently been in the Isle of Man at the request of the Manx Government, in order to inspect courses, which have been suggested as being suitable for T.T. car races. We understand that they are satisfied that the island is admirably suited for such events, and it is possible that developments may occur in the near future.

Since the Isle of Man is one of the few places within the British Isles where permission is given to race on the public roads, sporting motorists have long cherished a hope that a motor race might once more be held there, and no doubt they will welcome this announcement as a sign of renewed interest in the subject.

New International Convention. Automobile Association is in a position to issue the new International Certificate for Motor Vehi

cles and Driving Permits which now take the place of the old International Travelling Pass. These Permits are valid in the territory of no less than twentyfive Contracting States, and are available for a period of one year from date of issue.

Motorists wishing to tour with their own vehicles or cars hired abroad can obtain full particulars and application forms from the Touring Department of the Automobile Association, Fanum House, New Coventry Street, London, W.1. or from any branch office.

Do Motorists Hate Motorcyclists ? attack on motorcyclists delivered by Mr. Justice Swift at Exeter Assizes recently has aroused

widespread indignation. Motorcyclists, said the judge, are anathema to the ordinary motorist and everybody hates them.

Both the A.A. and the R.A.C. have vigorously denied the suggestion that enmity exists between motorists and motorcyclists ; and, in the opinion of a leading motor insurance broker, the latter are as a class more skilful drivers than motorists themselves.

Motor manufacturers, even, have been prompted to protest. No less a spokesman than Mr. A. F. Sidgreaves, Managing Director of Rolls-Royce, has declared that if there were any feeling of the kind it would have been most in evidence among owners of the big luxury type of car, and nothing had reached his ears for a long time past in support of Mr. Justice Swift’s scathing comments. ” In fact,” he continued, “we regard motorcycling as the field in which skilful motorists of the future are to be found.”

Price Rumour Refuted. a time of trade depression many rumours are afloat ; one of these rumours at present is spreading the

news that the Triumph concern intend to reduce the prices of their cars.

The Triumph Company invariably establish their programme at the commencement of the season. During their very long existence, they have never deviated from the plan of maintaining such programme during the year and it is understood that they have no intention of departing from that well-established principle at the present time.

This decision has been taken, not only in the interests of the Company itself, but of owners and the trade in general. Apart from this, the demand for Triumph cars and their popularity would not justify a change of policy at the present time.

Widening the New Zealand Market. of the biggest automobile distributing organisations in New Zealand, Todd Motors Ltd., who

in the past only handled American products, have now decided to push wholeheartedly the sales of Humber and Hillman cars throughout their eight branches and seventy dealer’s organisations.

The Girectors of this great concern have now fully satisfied themselves as to the suitability of these two makes for existing conditions and adequate servicing arrangements are being made throughout their wide territory.

Todd Motors Ltd., are the third important New Zealand distributors to turn over to British Cars since last December. Rootes, Ltd., of course, are the world exporters of Humber-HillmanCommer products, and they are largely responsible for bringing about this happy result.

MechanicalSilence. motorist desires mechanical silence, but not every car, by any means, approaches to within meas

uring distance of it !

To obtain mechanical silence, a manufacturer must attend to details in the construction of the engine and gear-box —details which make little or no difference to the running of the car and which yet cost money in wages and machinery.

Two examples of the factors contributing to mechanical silence are crankshaft balance and the prevention of piston slap, and the Rover Co. pay very special attention to these two points in the production of their models.

Each crankshaft is placed on a delicately balanced machine. A small flywheel containing adjustable weights is attached to one end and the shaft is rotated at 1,500 r.p.m. Any lack of balance in the shaft is shown on a dial, and the weights in the flywheel are adjustable to compensate it. By a series of calculations the expert who does the job can determine in what place, and by how much, the shaft is out of balance. He records his verdict, metal is removed where necessary, and on its second test the shaft is usually found to be in perfect balance. If it is not, of course, the operation is repeated.

Even on a new car, piston slap is apt to occur. This is due to the relatively large amount of clearance necessary to the modern aluminium piston.

In order to prevent this, the Rover Co. fit anti-slap rings of a special design. These rings fit under the ordinary piston rings and exert sufficient pressure to hold the piston to the explosion side of the cylinder wall. Consequently when combustion takes place the piston is already on that side of the cylinder to which it would be thrown by the explosion pressure. This device permits ample clearance to be allowed in the first instance in a new engine, and the piston will not slap even when wear has taken place.