What the
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THREE-WHEELER TOUR
Has Proved
ONpages 854 and 855 of our issue for last week we described the progress of the tour of commercial sidecars and tri-ears during the first two days of the demonstration organized by the Auto-Cycle Union in conjunction with the British Cycle and Motor Cycle Manufacturers and Traders Union, Ltd.
On the morning of Wednesday, July 24th, the third day of the tour, the procession visited Ledbury and Great Malvern. At the outskirts of the latter town the vehicles encountered something in the nature of a hill-climb, of which they made light work in spite of the heavy loads :which many of them were carrying. They were met by Mr. H. F. 8. Morgan, who piloted them for the rest of the day. The vehicles were taken in precession around the streets of Worcester before being parked, and good propaganda work was done in this old city.
At Pershore, the next stop, more business was effected than appeared to be the case, several tradesman having specially come in from outlying villages to see how they could utilize light delivery motors for their businesses.
Considerable attention was aroused in both Evesham and Tewkesbury, and at .the latter place a gentleman claiming to be the oldest inhabitant produced, in contrast with the
Modern machines, an old boneshaker bicycle, with which, unwittingly, he added to the publicity value of the demonstration. At Gloucester dealers and prospective cu.stomers spent over an hour examining the outfits, which were then exhibited in the various dealers' showrooms. So 'far as one could tell, good business was done there.
Thursday's programme included visits to ThornburY, Bristol, Bath, Tetbury and Stroud, ending at Cheltenham. At the first stopping place the convoy was met by no fewer than four outfits from Bristol, which headed the procession into the Plain. At Bristol a procession was made through the streets before the vehicles were parked in Queen's Square, where a large crowd of business people showed keen interest in them.
• The shops were shutting as the column reached Bath, and rather less interest was displayed there. At Tetbury, the next stop, officials of the Auto-Cycle Union weighed each outfit. It is interesting to note that the Rudge-Whitworth 4.99-h.p. sidecar combination was the lightest machine, weighing only 5i cwt. The heaviest outfit was the B.S.A. 0.86-h.p. sidecar combination equipped for dairy work and carrying milk churns; this, with its load, weighed 131 cwt. As the machine weighed only about 6 cwt., its
load amounted to nearly S cwt. While on the question of loads we may remark that although the vehicles were all laden, the average speed of 20 miles per hour set for the demonstration could easily have been exceeded if necessary. Leaving Tetbury the column moved off to Stroud and thence to Cheltenham, where it was met by several commercial outfits, which piloted the convoy through the town
before it Was dispersed for the night. From the attention shown by prospective customers, whom the local agents had invited to inspect the machines in Cheltenham on the following morning, it is certain that good work was done here.
• The Tour Proves Useful to the Trade.
The first stop on Friday morning was made at Cirencester, where, again, good propaganda resulted. At Loughborough, the next halt, a large number of tradesmen turned out in their white coats and aprons to discuss the merits of the various exhibits. Fortunately it was market. day at Chippenham, where the convoy arrived in the afternoon, and the vehicles were parked in the market place itself. Mr. H. R. Hinder, a local dealer, who piloted the convoy through the town, had an excellent opportunity for doing business. The column proceeded through Caine to Devizes„ More attention being attracted at the latter place. Marlborough was a little disappointing, but Swindon, where the procession stopped for the night, was far more satisfactory. The market sale yard used for the dem,onstration here was not in the centre of the town, but the, dealers interested had taken good care to bring along prospective purchasers and they were pleased with the results.
On Saturday morning Faringdon, Wantage and Abingdon were visited, the tour concluding at lunch time in Oxford. After parking for an hour here the demonstrators dispersed, unanimous in their opinion that the tour had 0/1 the whole been more genuinely useful to the trade than on any previous occasion. A considerable number of definite orders
was booked during the week, and hundreds of people were seriously interested, so that•further orders may confidently be expected. There is no doubt that• this kind of tour of likely marketing centres is of great value as part of a sales campaign for any particular type of road vehicle. It affords tradesmen an excellent opportunity for comparing many representative types vvithout the need for a trip to London to the annual exhibition of motorcycles and three-wheelers. Many possible buyers are, 'by reason of their work, tied to their home towns or villages. It is only by-going to their doors that they can be brought to realize the potentialities of modern light delivery machines.
The Possibilities for the Three-wheeler.
As a concluding comment, we might say that there is scope for the development of light mechanically prtpelled parcelcars of British design and construction. Retailers the country over are faced with the difficulties of effecting urgent deliveries, and the bicycle or tricycle does not generally meet the case. Continental manufacturers produce some excellent little vehicles, which are having some reception in this country, and British manufacturers would' do well to consider the potentialities of the market for light motor-driven pareelcars. The sidecar outfit is more easily manceuvred than the so-called tri-ear, but with the latter type better protection for the driver is possible. Features which were prominent in this year's demonstration were electric lighting, interchangeable wheels, weather protection, and the use of fabric for body panelling.