From Our Berlin Correspondent.
Page 15
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Messrs. Opel, of Riisselsheim, have taken up the making of the heavier class of lorry. Some two years back they put light commercial vans on the market, having previously limited their output to the car class.
German Industrial Trials: Switzerland Going Strong.
On Sunday, May 2nd, the journey was interrupted for the exhibition at Dusseldorf. Apropos these shows at various stages of the route, the organisers are charging for admission --apparently for the purpose of keeping the provisional garage select, since the public hardly jump at the idea of paying to see at rest what they can see in action for nothing. Kaiser Wilhelm's sister, Princess von Schaumburg-Lippe, visited the Dusseldorf show, and subsequently invited Herr de In Croix, secretary of the Imperial Motor Club, to take tea with her at the Park Hotel. Monday saw the vehicles start for Coblenz, 111.3 kilometres distant for the heavier categories, with an extra 1.7.6 for the lighter. At Cologne, some 43 kilometres out, the 4-ton Stoewer lorry experienced sparking troubles, and had a longish delay M eonsequence. All starters over the Coblenz-Frankfort stretch (131.8 and 183.6 kilometres for the respective classes) reached port, although some of the heavy vehicles required the help of friendly villagers to surmount a gradient near Kehrig, and the Stoewer omnibus selected a route of its Own. Another ex hibition at Frankfort, where a large number of engineers inspected the automobiles. From Frankfort the route led to Kaiserslauten (138.4 and 167.5 ki1o metres for the two groups). Bad roads and steepish gradients here and there notwithstanding, competitors arrived " within the prescribed time.
On the evidence of figures covering the consumption of fuel for seven days, Switzerland looks like inflicting a severe defeat. ou Germany. In the light-omnibus class, the Saurer consumed 188.990 kilos., the DaimlerMarienfelde coming next with 217.20. The Sa.urer's economical supremacy comes out still clearer in the heavyomnibus class, being able to show 223,90 kilos., against 348.42 and 452.4 credited to a Gaggenau and a Stoewer respectively. In the light-van eon( ingent. the fight lies between a Hausa
and a Brennabor, albeit the latter will probably have to be content with second place. Class IV (light lorries for loads of 1,200-2,000 kilos.) appears to be another " certainty " for the Swiss make, which burnt some 14 kilos. less than a Gaggenau ; and in class V, a Saurer consumed 198.2 kilos. against the 261.65 burnt by an Adler. With the Daimler-Marienfelde unfortunately out of action in class VI (lorries for more than 8,500 kilos.), the Saurer has a decided lead over the Stoewer with 240.40 kilos. against 308.05 kilos. In the " train " class, too, Switzerland appears to be on the way to a signal triumph.
From Kaiserslauten the vehicles proceeded on May 7, to Saarbrucken, a stage of 68 and 120.2 kilometres for the respective groups. Immediately following this short stage, which the starters negotiated without much difficulty, came the Saarbriicken-Strasburg stretch, which meant 167.2 kilometres for the lighter automobiles and 127.1 for the rest. At the start, the light Snorer lorry caught fire, and was twenty minutes late in starting. An exhibition took place at Strasburg on Sunday, May 9th.