Utility Motors in France.
Page 15
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The French Trials.
On Saturday, I visited the Galerie des Machines, Paris, to witness the weighing-in of the vehicles entered for the French commercial trials, which are now in progress. Most of the lorries and motorbuses had arrived the previous day, and motorcabs were now being slowly driven in and placed on the Chameroy weighbridge, which hats been specially erected for the trials. A number of journalists and Automobile Club officials, and here and there a few constructors, watched the proceedings, while a squad of soldiers, stiff and erect, looked on stolidly, and a force of police restrained the curiosity of a crowd of loiterers at the gates. In the afternoon, M. Picquart,the Minister of War, came down in a motorcar to pay his official visit of inspection. He was escorted round the building by the Marquis de Dion, the tall, distinguishedlooking, ever-active and gracious President of the Competitions Committee. of the A.C.F., but his stay was only a short one, and, after partaking of a glass of champagne and running the gauntlet of half-a-dozen photographers, the Minister re-entered his car and was driven away. Accompanying him were three Russian army officersc who had been appointed by their War Department to follow the trials, with a view to the purchase of 30 lorries at their conclusion. Needless to say, the competing makers are rejoicing over this unexpected happy development.
On Sunday the competing vehicles were placed on exhibition. The Galerie des Machines, an enormous, glass-covered structure near the Ecole served admirably for the purpose, being infinitely preferable to the out-of-theway Army Equipment buildings on the Quid d'Orsay, which were last year's headquarters. The exhibition was the first of five : the others are to be held at Rouen (May 7th), Lille (May 13th), Rheims (May 18th), and Nancy (May 23rd), • during the courseof the run. . On. Monday, the .vehicles started on the trials, running, to Rouen. All that were entered were at their posts for dispatch—i.e., 5o, representing 19 firms, I do not enter into detail, as I observe the Editor's decision to concentrate his report into a single, critical article.
Lyons Hill-climb.
At Limonesh, near Lyons, last week, a hill-climbing competition was held, under the auspices of the Automobile Club du RhOne. There were three classes for commercial vehicles and six entries, all local. The incline was 3 kilometres 740 metres in length. Results :
Class I (vehicles carrying Low kilos.).—(1) Berliet, Smin. 521.-sec. ; (2) Berliet, 13min. Spec.; (3) VitracDugelay, i3min. 16sec.; (4) VitracDugelay, 2imin. 475ec.
Class 2 (lorries carrying 3,000 Berliet, 29min. 7isec. Class 3 (lorries carrying 5,000 kilos.).—Berliet, 40min. 372see.