The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1922-08-24
GASOLINE COST
To Be OFFSET
BY CARBURET0R
Economy Tests Show Manu-.
facturers Way to I'm.
prove Designs

Ing from 50 TO 80 cents a gallon.
that recent French tests TO develop
better carburetion are being contin.
ued.
Cars smaller and lighter than
those generally Osed In the United
States. recently have averaged aboyt
so miles TO the gallon OF gasoline III
official public contests. The winner
In the principal competition OF this
sort made 81 miles 10 the gallon.
Large cars. weighing moro than
1000 pounds. averaged close TO Is
miles to the gallon In the recent
Strasburg race OF $40 miles over the
Grand PrIx course and under the
same regulations. This was the first
race OF this kind organized gy the
Grand PrII officials. and II proved
such q success that similar contest
~ announced for next year.
These results. however. were un.
der the special conditions that gov.
ern all such affairs. and admittedly
are not nttainable by the average
driver. particularly In the United
States.
Several cars OF q popular American
make competed In the LeMans test
for light cars. and their showing H.
iustrates the progress made In econ
omiring fuel. Equipped with the
same carbureter al the winner that
made Gl miles ah hour. one ran 80
miles on a gallon. and another made
only 36 miles.
These economy tests. according to
carburetcr manufacturers. taught
them lessons that will show next year
In improved design. but 80 far there
has been no revelation In engineer.
Ing that Is applicable TO automobiles
In general.
Racing tests. however. give mis-
leading idea of results. for the cars
that then average GO miles to- the gal.
Ion operate normally at about So
miles TO the gallon. The difference
In explained as due 10 six factors:
the use OF n special gasoline: equip
ment with the best carburetor; car
buretor adjustment to get n weak
mixture that would not serve In or
dinary driving: expert driving; per.
feet mechanical condition OF the car
and special adjustment OF the motor
for high compression and pronounced
advance Of the spark.
The reasons for the better results
obtained by French cars over their
American competitors are attributed
to several things. The American
cars were heavier, and Il was math-
ematicaiiy certain that II would take
more fuel to drive the greater weight,
rs the American cars
travelled 10 percent faster. The
American cars also stood higher from
the ground and met greater wind re-
sistance. also the American cars had
much larger motors which turned
over at much lower speed. so that
greater consumption was inevitable.
when the different conditions to
be met by the French and the Ameri-
can manufacturer are considered, ex-
perts do not generally feel that there
Is any remarkable superiority in the
French car. These differences grow
out OF costs OF operation and the
OF the public. Gasoline
costs nearly twice AZ much In France
as In the United States. and French
therefore. find II profitable
to spend more money to produce IN
economical motor. This IL done In
several ways. but principally by hav-
Ing q well-finished. small motor. with
high compression. turning
oyer at q high speed. Some small
motors make 1000 revolutions per
and French racing cars up
proach 5000 Z. p. N. The French
are educated TO look more to gaso-
line consumption than TO speed and
acceleration. They prefer . small
motor with four speeds. and they are
,ontent to shift gears constantly SO
AZ to save gasoline.
Americans over here sometimes
wonder whether tho higher original
,0st OF French cars really offsets the
'aving In gasoline. French cars cor.
In size. power. appear
.nce and ability to travel cost much
more than their American rivals.
quantity production ac-
counts for much difference In price.
although Citroen, called the "Ford of
France. by far the numerical leader
lmong French cars, still suffers
Ireatly when compared with Ameri-