NEW MODELS

IN spite of the large quantities of armament work now being undertaken by the Motor Industry, new models have been appearing quite freely of late, so apparently the Industry has no intention of losing the civil market to other countries while it manufactures war materials, as our Aircraft Industry is doing. We have already announced in this paper several new small sportscars in the under 4300 category and have referred to the new ” Continental ” model 41-litre Bentley. Amongst other recent announcements has been that of the Mercury V8, which is a Lincoln product, with rather the appearance of the famous Zephyr, but with a 3,917 c.c. 81 x95 mm. V8 engine in place of the V12 unit. The gearbox gives ratios of 3.54, .5.66 and 9.98 to 1. The car weighs about .28 cwt., giving a power/weight ratio of ,81 lb per c.c. It has a 9′ 8″ wheelbase and transverse suspension. The sedan costs L390. An oil-gauge is fitted. Frazer-Nash-B.M.W. have introduced the Type 321. This is a 2-litre car of a sustained output of 45 b.h.p. and a 4.3 to I top gear. The wheelbase is 9′ 0″, and the two-door saloon costs 055. A drop-head cabriolet is available at L445. The Type 326 Frazer-NashB.M.W. now develops a maintained output of 50 b.h.p. and a sustained cruising speed of 66 m.p.h. is claimed—why not 65 m.p.h. or 70 m.p.h., for no one would care about keeping his speedometer dead on a set speed quoted to its nearest m.p.h. reading. The Type 327 cruises at 75 m.p.h. and reaches 85 m.p.h. on a 3.9 to 1 top gear and 60 maintained b.h.p., and does 84 m.p.h. crui,ing and 95 maximum with the 80 b.h.p. T.T. engine—we imagine it would come to no harm if cruised at 85 m.p.h. The Type 335 gives 90 maintained b.h.p. front 3,485 c.c, and cruises happily at 87 m.p.h., or shall we say 90, and achieves 100 m.p.h.. The famous Type 328 is now to be made in this country. It now has an axle ratio of 3.7 to 1, and does over 100 m.p.h. on 2-litres of reliable unblown, push-rod engine. Dual Soxel down

draught carburetters are now used on all save the three carburetter T.T. engine and other improvements include the use of lead-bronze bearings and tin-coated alloy pistons.

Citroens have a most interesting new car up their sleeve, which will be available over here next autumn. It is a 23 h.p. edition of the f.w.d. car, for which 85 m.p.h. and 0-50 m.p.h. acceleration in under 13 secs. is claimed with closed bodywork.

Triumph have just introduced a ’70 m.p.h. 52 b.h.p. four-cylinder ” Twelve ” priced at L285 in saloon form.

Without writing blah-paragraphs, we may say that we approve each one of these marques and welcome these new models. Their sponsors are to be congratulated on introducing them in these troubled times and one can only hope that the Budget will not damp the carbuying spirit of those sane folk who do not allow political scares to affect their outlook on the future.