R.A.C. Trials: Mr. Henry Sturmey's Views.
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Now that the issue of the long deliberations of the Committee on the Commercial Vehicle Trials is available, we can examine the requirements and consider the trials from a solid standpoint. The Editor has already dealt with most of the salient features of the trials, but a few others strike me. No one, 1 think, can take exception to the ostensible object of the trials as stated, and I will touch upon three heads of that statement. The efficiency of the vehicles can be amply proved by the trials, as well as their economy of working— up to a certain point, that point being, of course, as to what the repair bill is likely to be at the end of a year. So far as reliability is concerned, the manufacturers will be enabled to demonstrate the continuously even working--or otherwise— of the different parts of their vehicles during the month's work, though, again, how they will stand the work of twelve times as long a period cannot be demonstrated by the trials, though the examination which is to be made at the end should convey some indication concerning it. There can be no doubt but that trials carried out on the lines which are proposed should be very valuable, not only in regard to the direct testing of the competing vehicles under Club observation, but as an advertisement of the commercial side of motoring., by bringing directly under the notice of the trading community in all parts of the country the general usefulness-of such vehicles, and impressing upon them the fact that the commercial vehicles of to-day are no longer experiments, but are practical aids to business in which they can invest with very little uncertainty as to what the results are going to be.
The nature of the trials, apart from the continuity of them, is, however, their chief feature of value. We know what an immensely powerful influence the i,000-mile trial of the Automobile Club for pleasure vehicles in two had upon the community at large, and it is clear that the practical demonstration provided by the forthcoming trials will be of immense value and assistance to this branch of the industry, not around London or one particular centre, but in all the chief commercial centres of the country, whilst, to the cornpetitors themselves, as well as to intending purchasers, the official records of fuel consumption, and all the other points into which it is the function of the judges to enquire, should prove exceedingly valuable.
There is one rule which shows that the Club is learning by experience. I refer to Rule 6, in which, although the competing vehicles must be within the gates by noon on 5th September, instead of absolutely barring any unfortunate vehicles arriving late, as has been the case hitherto in Automobile Club Trials as well as in the Tourist Trophy Race, is hours' grace is given, upon payment of a graduated fine according to lateness, certainly an alteration in the usual Club rules which will be appreciated by any competitors unfortunate enough to experience delay at the last minute.
With regard to the classification, there is really only one point to which I think exception can be taken. The Editor has already mentioned this, but I think more can be said to -the point. I refer particularly to the smaller vehicles in classes A and B. We know there are a number of vans built and supplied for the conveyance of loads of less than 2ocwt. and more than Ocwt. ; thus, different makers list vans of i2cwt. and iscwt. capacity. There are, too, quite a number of -smaller vans still, which are not built to carry even mcwt., 'but, in catering for the light delivery work of the smaller tradesmen, they are constructed to carry 5cwt., 7cwt., and 8cwt. With regard to all these smaller vehicles, as they 'form practically the newest development of the commercial vehicle and as, moreover, successful vehicles of these types will appeal to a vastly greater number of business houses
than will the larger cars, a practical demonstration of their capabilities would be of the highest value and interest. All these vehicles, however, are placed in the position of either having to carry to or 2ocwt., and the result will be, doubtless, that the t2cwt. and iscwt. vans, instead of competing in the ocwt. class and so carrying a 30 to 40 per cent. overload, will be entered in the iocwt, class and run light, and, therefore, at a considerable advantage over their competitors who are more legitimately entered and are running with their full load. Again, so far as the smaller vehicles, that is the 5-8cwt. cars are concerned, iL seems to me that, unless they are prepared to take on an overload of from 25 to Ion per cent., they are shut out from the contest altogether. This could easily have been got over by requiring all vehicles to carry the loads specified by their manufacturers as those for which they have been built.
I take it that it is the object of the Club to encourage competition with standard vehicles as supplied by the trade to-day, rather than the construction of special ones for the competition, differing in many ways from the regular commercial article, but this classification forces many firms to build special vehicles if they wish to compete at all. Referring also to the smaller cars, whilst the amount of entry fee is not greal, considering that the Club has to make a month's arrangements, I certainly think that the practice followed in all its other competitions, in Which the smaller or lower-priced vehicles pay less entry fees, should have been followed here, as L',25 on, say, a .4.15o Van is a very heavy percentage of its total cost and the possible profits on it, whereas it is but a fleabite compared with the cost of a or .4'7oci wagon arid possible contingent profits. In the question of approximate mileage per day, this is particularly rough upon those small cars which elect to run under an overload, seeing that the smaller vehicles are set to cover more than twice the mileage of the larger ones, although I am quite willing to admit that, so far as the drivers are concerned, had all vehicles been set to accomplish the same task—as it seems to me they should have been—some of them would have had a comparatively easy time.
There does not seem to be much in the other regulations calling for special comment, unless it be the inclusion of Rule to of the Open Competition Rules of the Club, which reads " no advertisement or trade signs shall be carried on, or be distributed from, any vehicle during any competition, except with the special consent of the Club first obtained." Of course, the last words form a saving clause, and I under.. stand that the Club Committee has already Considered the point, and that any proper and customary lettering will be allowed upon the competing vehicles, which, after all, is only reasonable : in a competition of this kind, there can be no question of surreptitious advertising, as with cars taking part in a contest ostensibly for private vehicles, seeing that the contest, above everything, is a contest of trade vehicles, and the contest, above everything, is a contest to the competitors will undoubtedly be the advertising they will get if they are allowed to have their names and addresses, and the name of their vehicle, painted thereupon in the usual manner in which tradesmen's addresses are put upon vehicles of their respective classes. With the great amount of public attention which will be centred upon the vehicles in their passage over the course in and around the great centres of industry, these trials will undoubtedly be a fine advertisement for those cars which perform successfully.
[Mr. Sturmey's plea for, say, a 5cwt. class, has our sympathy, but we fear that enormous multiplication of detail work, as well as greater difficulty in comparison would follow any addition to the number of load standards.—ED.]