The Washington times., 1929-06-05


1t is beginning Ito recognize, for'
instance. that shock absorbers con.
tribute not only to comfort but also
to the positiveness with which the
car may be driven. In addition to
the greater comfort of those wider
front seats, II senses that F0ominess
contributes to free and unrestricted
operation of the controls with good
effect upon safety.
The relocation of the controls,
themselves, not only Is proving more
convenient, but an enhancement to
safety.
FOur-WhesI Brakes
With regard to the brakes on the
1929 automobiles, it has taken buy
ers some time, 1t seems, to become
fully aware of their more appealing
features. That is due, many think.
to the fact that the main specifi.
cation with regard to brakes, namely
"four-wheel," has been the same for
several years.
Gradually, however, it has become
evident that the latest versions of
all-around brakes are not like the
earlier ones. They are better. AS
a matter of fact, they are so much
better that on any new car it can
almost be guaranteed that the de-
celeration equipment is adequate to
stop the car from a speed of %
miles an hour within 80 feet or less.
In this connection it should be re.
allied that the legal definition of
good brakes, namely, capability of
stopping the car from 90 miles an
hour within so feet, is. considerably
bettered.
Commenting on the situation. a
prominent consulting engineer says:
Forgot Feature
1.-The layman has been so busy
thinking what good looking motor
car the 1929 model is, how power
full and brightly capable it is, that
he has forgotten one of the most
important things about it,; namely;
that 1t Is a traffic automobile"
In some quarters, paradoxical
situation with regard to the super
fine qualities of the latest automo-
biles is pointed out. 1t indicates,
to some observers, that in one of
its basic assumptions with regard
to the taste of the American car
buyer the automotive industry has
been entirely sound.
Ever since the motoring army
was no more than the size of full
company, there has been an idea
that it was made up of persons who
had a high disregard for gear.
shifting. That 1t now numbers mil
lions has not changed the assump.
ton. Accordingly. the industry has
worked with might and main, night
and day, to make gear shifting as
needless as possible by building
greater power and smoothness into
the car and to make it as easy as
possible where it could not be
avoided.
Traffic Is Bad
Whether the individual car owner
likes it or not. whether or not the
industry was wrong in its assump!
ton, a great deal of gear shifting
is going on these days that never
was necessary before. 1t is an un.
questioned fact that traffic con.
gestion is causing many millions of
drivers to keep their hands more
or less constantly upon the gear
shift lever.
Queerly enough, there is no pro.
test. The car owner seems to have
assumed that it is inevitable and
within the industry there are some
who want to know whether the pub
lie pulse holders" were not wrong
when they declared it impossible to
reconcile the car buyet with lot of
gear shifting.
The answer comes back to this
quizzical group that by working on
this premise the industry has made
gear shifting so simple that the
driver Is not conscious that he is
doing -. excessive amount of it. If
that reply is correct, and the ma
jority seem to lean that way, it Is a
remarkable tribute to the success of
the industry in building traffic
automobile"
Features Common
1t Is this business of having made
driving in general so simple that has
made the motorist slow to realize
the specific contributions of various
new almost universally used features
to the general safety of the 1929 car.
Take the location of the light co1.
trolls on the steering VIII Ell or the
floor board and the widespread use
Of twin beam or double ray lamps,
for example.
In night driving, with the beam
directed down to the highway i'm
mediately in front of the car, the
1929 car is easily recognized when
coming toward one. When this
light with its adjustable ray but
without the customary DINNER ap-
peared, there were many who Won
dered what was going to happen.
They could not understand that it
not only is possible but dighly ad-
vantageous.
Easier to Pass
1t is much easier to pass a 1929
car with its rightly dropped light
rays than a 1926 model which is
either providing glare or giving in.
adequate light
Yet. when these handy lights with
their different controls appeared,
they were regarded as merely con-
venient. 1t took some time for
their safety to he realized.
Shock absorbers. used on by far
the majority of cars these days are
doing more than easing the strain
on ones spine. That side sway and
bobbing motion that formerly were
So prevalent at certain speeds on
certain roads always made driving
somewhat hazardous, 1t Is "ironed
out" now by the shock ahsorbers
and by the increased width of the
vehicle together with changes N
spring suspension. The discovery
that this is The. case is being made
on a greater scale these days as
touring trips with higher speeds
become more common.