letters from readers, May 1931
Letters from Readers.
Lockhart’s Stutz—And Others
AS one who has followed the progress of streamlining of racing cars for the past few years I was very interested in your article on the subject .
Probably the best streamlined car ever constructed was Frank Lockhart’s 3litre Stutz, the detail work on which was very carefully thought out. The radiators on the top of the bonnet were for cooling the mixture on its passage from the superchargers to the engine, not for cooling the water as stated, as this car was the first to make use of an ice tank for that purpose. It was also the first to have the steel disc wheels which are now fitted to world’s record cars.
Another very well-streamlined car was ” Djelmo,” the car designed by Mr. Magna, which in the hands of Foresti made an unsuccessful attempt upon the world’s record at Pendine in 1927.
One of the most interesting of the articles which have appeared recently in MOTOR SPORT was that which gave the history of the Mont Ventoux Hill (limb. Similar articles on the other classic hill climbs, such as La Turbie, IClausen, and Gaillon climbs would be of great interest to enthusiasts, particularly as the record for the two latter has been held at one time or another by Sunbeam cars.
” Vites.se.”
Dewsbury.
Speed Trials
IWISH to run a home-made small car, with rather good acceleration, in speed events. Would you let me know how to enter for the Lewes Speed Trials, and if there are any other events which I could enter cheaply ?
At present I have no f.w.b., which d,ebars me from the B.A.R.C. ” Mountain ” races—not to mention the entrance fees.
J . V. B. Meopham, Kent. [The Lewes Speed Trials are run by the Kent and Sussex Light Car Club, whose Secretary is :—H. V. Warren, Esq., 51, Ringwood Road, Eastbourne .—ED.]
Wanted—An Old G.N.
IHAVE read in MOTOR SPORT about the conversion of an old G.N. and I have decided to try the same sort of thing. But never seeing any advertisements of G.N.’s for sale, I do n,ot know where to get one. I wonder if you can help me in this matter. Perhaps some of your readers know someone or some garage which has one to sell.
Wishing your paper the very best of luck as the best motor journal going.
B. Abdy-Collins.
Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex. [Can any of our readers assist the writer of the above in his search for a G.N. ?ED.]
Venues for Hill Climbs
WITH reference to the article in the April number of MOTOR SPORT, in which your correspondent draws attention to the lack of venues for speed hill climbs and trials, would you be kind enough to draw attention, in your next issue, to the fact that the Berkhamsted Club have run a speed hill climb on private property for the last two years, and are doing so again this year on the 28th June ?
Our hill (the use of which is confined to this club for one day of the year only), is situated at Dancers End near Tring, Herts, and is of good surface, with one bend, and, has a gradient of about 1 in 10. To encourage amateurs the entry fee is kept at 2s. 6d., a class for all classes of cars, and the meeting is to be open to ten clubs in the South Midland Centre A.C. U. I shall be pleased to supply fuller details on request from your readers.
L. JENNINGS (Hon. Press Secretary). West Hendon, N.W.9.
Letters on any subject of interest to readers of ” Motor Sport” are always welcome, but correspondents are asked to be as brief as possible.
Personalities and recapitulation must be avoided, and it must be understood that the Editor is not responsible for the views expressed.
Increased Two-stroke popularity
IN the never-ending war between twostrokes and four-strokes, the latter type undoubtedly leads so far as sheer numbers are concerned. Fourstroke enthusiasts have repeatedly averred that the two-stroke is “dead,” but the fallacy of this statement has been proved most definitely during the past four months.
At the last Motor Cycle Show, the Dunelt company, whose name has been associated with two-strokes for many years, announced that they had dropped their well-known two-stroke model, and were concentrating on four-strokes. Agents and private owners were at once up in arms and an unexpected demand for a two-stroke machine was created.
The result is that the manufacturers, working in conjunction with the Villiers company, have now produced a 350 c.c. two-stroke which sells, fully equipped with a 6-volt lighting set, for OS. It is interesting to note that the two firms’ combined experience of two-strokes extends over a period of more than 30 years.
An attractive and up-to-date specification is offered, but the most interesting point about the machine, perhaps, is that despite its full equipment it weighs less than 224 lbs. and is thus taxed at 30s. per annum only.
Some Safety-Glass Secrets
SOME; interesting figures have been issued by the Triplex Co., showing the amount of materials used in the manufacture of their safety-glass.
12,000 tons of special sand, 4,000 tons of soda ash, 3,000 tons of limestone, 800 tons of salt-cake, 3,000 tons of cutlet, 35 tons of charcoal and 70 tons of arsenic —these materials would probably be sufficient to lay out an artificial beach, built a row of houses or poison a regiment. Actually they are all needed every year to make safety-glass for one make of car alone.
To polish and grind the glass a further 50,000 tons of sand, 3,000 tons of stucco, 1,100 tons of garnet and 300 tons of rouge are required. It is one of the minor miracles of motoring that this queer mixture should result in clear sheets of Triplex glass.
Motorcycles for the
THE general public, a large percentage of which still maintains an unreasonable dislike for motorcycles, little realises the part these machines play in the delivery of its letters and parcels. Actually it is nearly 30 years ago since motorcycles were first considered by the postal authorities, for in 1902 a number of sidecar machines was hired for experi
mental purposes. Apparently these early models proved unsatisfactory for it was not until 1914 that the G.P.O. made its first purchase of 20 combinations.
Additions to the sidecar postal service have been made from time to time, the latest order being for a large batch of combinations which has just been received by the Triumph Company. In all, the G.P.O. now has over 2,000 machines operating in all parts of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They are employed mainly in country districts and, in addition to delivering letters and parcels, are used for patrol inspection of telephone and telegraph routes.
Further Extensions at Triumphs.
RECENTLY it was stated that the branch works of the Triumph Company at Stoke, near Coventry, were seven times as large as they were a few years ago, and that they were being used for the manufacture of bodies and for test purposes only.
Now comes news of further extensions, the Company having just taken over another factory near the Stoke works. It will be used as a test shop, and the removal of this department from the Stoke branch will, of course, allow increased production of car bodies. The new factory makes the sixth of the Triumph group in Coventry.