Evening star., 1927-09-18

|
and wider bodies are being offered
by motor car makers i'll several
fields, very convincing revelation
of confidence in the belief that there
is a tremendous market for larger
automobiles.
The effort TO make the automobile
as alluring as possible finds many
other refinements built into the new
est offerings, Even such a small de-
tail as the springs OF the seat cush-
ions has been given effective atten-
tion. Upholstery, too. and interior
coloring-restful in every sense
have been made talking points III
favor OF this or that automobile.
Just a detail. but it shows the eX
| tent to which car makers are gong
in trying to better their products ::
| One manufacturer is offering a ttange
effect on the front axle under which
! the Jack may be placed with greater
assurance that it will not slip. Still
another company provides glass
covered aperture i'll the motor which
permits vicw-with the proper in
strumcnts, OF course-of the engines
internal units.
| On the whole. a study of the late
models will convince even the skep-
| tics that many radical effects can be
achieved without radically departing
from conventional practice.
* X x
Passenger cars have no corner on
all the attractive shades in which
automobiles are finished. Nor do
they have all that is appealing in
design.
The motor truck, too, is being
made an attractive vehicle-certain-
ly big Improvement on the older
mastodons of the highway. Al
though they get less attention than
the low, 1.-THE, vividly finished pas
senger cars. the motor trucks of 1927
are we'll worth looking at.
For instance, no passenger car
ever is finished in white because it
is too difficult to clean. Yet. many
truck operators insist that their We
hicles be finished in this shade.
They are ready to have them wash
ed at the end OF each days service
If this is necessary to keep them
clean. This is true not only OF the
light delivery car. 1t is equally true
OF the big 5-ton carrier. In one
large city a leading coal dealer has
all his delivery trucks painted white.
One can find trucks finished in
every shade from carmine to dull
green tones. And. they are worthy
OF more attention than they get on
the streets. Every one knows that
the modern truck is vehicle of
imposing utility. But few seem to
realize that it has beauty, too.
Truth certainly is stranger than
fiction, and every garage man has
story or two to tell to prove it.
A recent tale of this kind concerns
a driver who is so skillful that he
can indulge in large number of au-
tomobile accidents every year and
still never be to blame. 1t was while
awaiting the arrival of an insurance
adJuster that he boasted of this fact
and gave the garage man orders to
go ahead and buy the necessary
parts TO put the car back into run
ming condition again. Rather than
be disappointed or have any difficulty
In obtaining the necessary parts, the
garage man undertook to drive the
more or less battered car up to a
nearby city in an adjoining State.
Upon arriving at his destination. he
discovered that the machine origi-
nally had been purchased from that
particular dealer and had not been
fully paid for. He took the car right
into the hands of those who had
been trying to get hold of it for
many months.
The owner is not likely to have
many collisions within the next few
months. He's walking now.
X y x X
"No person shall ride, drive or
propel motor vehicle of any kind
whatsoever over the streets and
highways of this town, in the COM
pact part thereof, at a speed greater
than six miles per hour. whether
said vehicle is propelled by cleo
triclty, steam, gasoline or other mo-
tive power"
Thus read Rhode Island towns
motor vehicle ordinance adopted Is
years ago. The fine for violation
was not less than S. and not more
than $40. 1t is queer commentary
on the trend of events that the peo-
pie who paid the fine were the ones
TO whom we are indebted for some
of motordoms present great deve1-
opment.
With the introduction of the 1923
models by two prominent car MAX
ers who were the last to offer off
standard gear . shifting arrange
ments. all shifts now are the same
on American-made motor cars.
One Of the manufacturers who made
the change, however. specifies
Willingness to provide the old type
SHIFT for any buyer who prefers it.
For many years. certain advocates
OF safety have maintained that a
long stride toward their objective
was obtaining the adoption of uni
form system of controls for all
motor vehicles. This objective now
has been achieved. for brakes. steer
ing wheels and shift levers all oper-
ate in the same basic manner.
X 4
One OF the newest universal Joints
is an adjustable metal form which
has as vet to be adopted by manu-
iacturers as standard equipment. The
wear on any properly fabricated
metal joint is not serious conside-
ration IT some means of taking up
the Joints is provided to compensate
! tor this wear.