MOTORING NOTES
THE THREE-LITRE BENTLEY No other car has ever established a reputation for super- excellence so quickly as the three-litre Bentley. The first model to be designed was put upon the road in experimental form in 1919, but it was three years later before it was offered to the public. Yet during the four years it has been upon the market it has achieved a fame not only national but international. To-day ;t ranks throughout the world not only as one of the finest British cars, but as one of the finest touring cars in existence.
It was with peculiar pleasure, therefore, that I recently arranged to have a week's tour in one of these three-litre models, and during the trip the whole of North and South Wales were covered. Even the notorious Bwlch.y-Groes pass was climbed, twice ; so was. the. still more notorious road-'—or rather track—from Bala to Lake Vyrriwy. The round trip totalled about sob miles, and never have I had a more delight- ful run. It was motoring in the best sense of the term. The most forbidding hills lost their terrors ; very seldom indeed was it necessary to change gear. It was almost a top-gear run ; save for half a dozen hills it would actually have been so. I have never driven a car that was more eaSily handled, and I alWays had the feeling of being entirely at home with the car and able to do with it exactly what I wanted.
At all speeds the Bentley travels without fuss or botherof any description, from walking pace on top gear to 80 miles an hour if required, the acceleration being smooth and instantaneous. On the indirect gears the acceleration is extraordinary and of great value in getting away from the increasing traffic blocks of the present day. The opportunity of attaining a really high speed depends upon circumstances, but, given a clear road, the low centre of gravity, wide track, and correct weight distribution of the Bentley render it easily attainable without danger or discomfort. With a car constructed for a maximum of 70 to 85 miles an hour, driving at 40 miles an hour is giving the mechanism an easy time, whereas a car with a maximum of _approximately 30 miles an hour will be working very hard to maintain this figure. The wonderful acceleration and high maximum speed of the Bentley enable the driver to command an " average " for long distance runs which makes the car ideal as a means of rapid transport. Closely allied to the question of speed is that of effective braking. The Bentley system of four-wheel brakes is very simple and free from complication. The ingenious compensating device has made it 'possible to employ a single adjustment to take up wear on all four brakes. Powerful brakes on four wheels, smooth in action and fully compensated, minimize greatly the risk of skidding.
An outstanding feature of the three-litre Bentley, to which is due in no small measure its power and reliability, is that there are four valves in each cylinder, two inlet and two exhaust. By using two valves instead of one the seating area is increased by 50 per cent., and in consequence the cooling surface is greater, and a greater volume of water can be circulated through the space surrounding the seatings. The hammering effect on the seating of a single large valve with a heavy spring is greatly diminished by using two light valves with correspondingly lighter springs. There are also two magnetos and two sets of sparking plugs. Two simul7 taneous .sparks in a correctly designed cylinder enable much' more po:•rer to be developed-by an engine. In addition, this feature has an important influence on easy starting and fuel economy. Dual ignition is also another provision for reliability. In the event of an ignition fault the engine will continue to run on one magneto with one set of plugs. A sepata!e switch is provided for each magneto, in order that each set of plugs may be tested.
Upon the correct lubrication of the engine and all its working parts depend in a large measure its reliability and its efficiency. Without correct lubrication its life is bound to be a short and not a particularly happy one. In the Beatles engine an unusually large supply of oil is carried and a very carefully designed pressure-feed system is employed. The valve operating gear runs in oil, and at any moment when the engine is turning there is as much as half a gallon in circula• tion in this part alone. This oil, in addition to lubricating the mechanism, tends to keep it cool, thus reducing wear. All parts of the chassis that require oiling are provided with Tecalemit connexions through which they can be loaded by means of the oil-gun supplied. All other parts requiring lubrication are similarly loaded.
A very striking feature of the Bentley is its extraordinarily smooth running, even over roads that are anything but perfect. Some of the Welsh mountain passes are little better than tracks, yet on such the car holds the road in an amazing manner. This is largely due to the fact that the springs are long, and, when the car is loaded, have very little camber. Four shock absorbers are fitted to the chassis as standard, each model having the type most suited to its work. Crest care has been paid to weight distribution, and as a result the road-holding qualities of the car are unsurpassed.
The best car in the world is liable to involuntary stoppages at some time or another. In these days, when a motor car is in many eases a necessary means of transport and no,t only a vehicle of pleasure, every endeavour should be made by the maker to provide against these emergencies and to ensure that small adjustments can be easily and quickly effected. The Bentley will bear close inspection in these respecti. The two magnetos, the two sets of plugs, the accessible Autovac, the glass petrol filter with large drain tap, and other features show consideration for the owner-driver.
AUSTIN PRICE REDUCTIONS.
Very striking reductions have been made in the price of Austin cars, as a consequence of greatly enlarged production, while the quality and equipment have been more than main- tained. These reductions vary from £20 in the case of the " Twelve " to as much as £100 in the " Twenty " Landaulette.
DUNLOPS AT OLYMPIA.
The Dunlop Rubber Company, Ltd., will make a very effective display at the forthcoming Motor Show, which will be held at Olympia from October 22nd to 30th. On their stand (No. 314) they will show beaded-edge tyres, straight- sided tyres with flat-base rims, balloon tyres with well-base rims, and medium-pressure .tyres with well-base rims. They will also have on exhibition a complete range of Dunlop motor tyre accessories, including floor matting, running board mats, and other additions to the present year's range. A novelty at the Dunlop stand will be a balloon tyre demon- stration set. It will be shown in practical fashion how easy it is to fit and to remove Dunlop tyres fitted to well- base rims.
ARE KERBS AN ADVANTAGE ?
For about twenty miles on both sides of the Great North Road stretching from Newcastle to Alnwiek, kerbs have been laid, and these are the subject of a raging controversy. Those who condemn the kerbs, which are made of concrete and stand several inches above the road, say that they spoil the rural amenities, that cattle fall over them and break their legs, that such strict definition of the road neutralizes the widening, that a swerve on to the grass in an emergency is no longer possible, and that a skid against the kerb would be much more dangerous than sliding into the ditch. Their opponents argue that the kerb is a fine guide at night or in a fog, that it acts as firm side-support for the whinstone of which the road is made, and that the risk of skidding into the kerb on the gritty surface of this fine Northumbrian Mad is negligible. - - " - - E. T. Baows.
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