The A. C. G. B. and I. Van Trials.
Page 10
Page 11
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
We published the conditions for the Automobile Club's light delivery van trials in our issue of June 8th. Although any efforts on the part of the club to create public interest in these trials have been conspicuous by their absence, there is no question that a vast amount of work has been done in preparing and mapping out the routes as follows :— Approximate distance for classes : From OXFORD (Depot No. i) :— c &D A iit B To Brackley, Towcester, and North To St. Neots, Biggleswade, and Hitchin 59 81
„ Newmarket, Bury St. Edmunds,
and Wattislield So 82
„ Bishop's Stortford, Epping, and
Wake Arms Inn ... 1)3 82
Total mileage...t8i81 240491 °The length of the return journey to the dep6t is included in every case.
The labour involved in getting out all these details cannot be regarded as a work of supererogation, but it is a matter for great regret that somebody was not detailed by the secretary to conduct what might be termed a "publicity department" for the trials. Not only does the expenditure of energy in this direction create and foster .the interest of parties who are not reached by the motor Press, and whom it is, accordingly, in every way desirable to draw within the circle whose members are kept apprised of current events in commercial motoring, but the whole movement gains by the adhesion of fresh supporters. It is of no account, in reference to the necessity for an active Press propaganda, that the entries for the trials are somewhat disappointing; in fact, there is no doubt that had the trials been consistently and competently advertised in advance, as the French commercial motor trials were for several months, such a course would have reacted upon British manufacturers, some of whom have held back in the belief that the trials would not repay them for the time and expense involved.
The fact that so many populous towns will be visited is the best guarantee for a continued observation of the vehicles by those who are likely to become purchasers at the conclusion of the trials. It will not require any great exercise of judicious management to arrange for sufficient information to be available from day to day to enable local reporters to give interesting facts concerning the general results of each trip, and we hope that the Club will find some gentleman willing to offer his services as honorary Press secretary. Failing this, the secretary for the trials will no doubt arrange to issue a short account, about six o'clock each evening, of which duplicates will be obtainable on application shortly after that hour or certainly not later than seven o'clock. It is interesting to recall the fact that the awards will be determined by the judges—who have not yet been appointed— or. the basis of the performance of each vehicle ire regard to absence of noise; accessibility for examination ; appearance during trial; brakes; condition after trial; consumption Con a. price basis); design and construction; ease of manipulation; finish; manoeuvring; nuisance tO public, e.g., smoke; price; rapidity of opening up for replacement of parts, subject to renewal or repair ; repairs and replacements; reliability; re-starting on hills; speed; steering; ton mileage. According to rule No. 25, the first award in each class will be the gold medal of the Club, and the second award the silver medal of the Club. There will be additional money awards from a prize fund opened by the Club with a donation of ,4'50, and supported by Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son with a donation of "X',25. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has contributed the sum. of £400 to wards the cost of the trials, and part of this sum may be allocated to the prize fund. Further, the diploma offered by the Army Council will be awarded to the vehicle which is considered by the War Office Committee on Mechanical Transport to be, either as a whole, or in some details of its engines, or other parts, most meritorious from a military point of view, and therefore likely to be of service, even though indirectly, to the Army. An additional inducement to manufacturers to take part, with the ever-present risk of their not securing the first award in their class, is the fact that a certificate will be given in respect of the performance of every vehicle, whether it completes the trials or not. These provisions, in conjunction with a large measure of publicity from the daily Press, constitute the return for which the manufacturer naturally looks.
There now remains less than one week for manufacturers who have delayed taking a decision to do so in regard to these trials, and it is to be hoped that the entries will be doubled. The restriction of the classification to vehicles capable of carrying a maximum load of ti ton has accounted for the smallness of the entry to some extent, in which connection it is interesting to note that the corresponding classes in the French trials included only ii competing vehicles. It is, of course, a very difficulty matter for manufacturers who are being pressed by their customers on account of late delivery to spare even one commercial motor for a matter of six weeks, but one possible solution is Lc, obtain the consent of any purchaser who has placed his order for advertising purposes.