1908 Motor Show: A Review

Observations at the Show by Henry Sturmey

It is always interesting — but, it must be admitted, very tiring - making observations at Olympia. One learns a lot and finds at times how different things are from what one has been led to expect. This year's Show is no exception, and I fancy "MOTOR" readers who find their way thither during the week will be agreeably surprised at the variety to be seen.

In many respects this year's Show is considerably ahead — so far as I have seen at the moment of writing this - of any of recent years. Instead of that deadly-dull vista of monotony to which we have been getting accustomed of late, we certainly have a greater number of strong departures in design than I have seen for many years, which, indeed, goes somewhat to confirm the view I recently expressed in these pages that the ensuing season would see greater efforts to improve, and bolder departures from stereotyped design than formerly.

In so far as the Show as a whole is concerned, it is not one whit behind former years, and, with few exceptions, the exhibitors appear to have taken but little notice of the suggestion of the management Committee that less money should be spent on decoration and illumination of stands. The absurd and illogical waste of electric light still goes on with scarcely diminished intensity. However, that by the way.

The effect is good and as bright as ever, and there is a lot to see, and the seeing of it is rendered vastly more pleasant by the substitution of a good string band for the blaring and soul-maddening brass outfit of former years — a change for which I believe the exhibitors and public can thank myself and "THE MOTOR" is I have been persistently hammering away on this point for years. Therefore, it goes without saying that I congratulate the management upon the change.

Quite a lot of new ideas and fresh departure, are to be found under the gallery in the first two or three rows of exhibits, the first exhibit of all being an American electric car, which is disguised most effectually in broad design as a conventional petrol car, and as the same thing may be said of a couple of steam cars which find places in other parts of the building, it only goes to show how strongly the public is wedded to conventional design.

Not very far from this is one of the most interesting two-stroke designs I have yet seen — the Dolphin — which is entirely novel, very interesting, and full of use points. Secondary cylinders are used for compressing the charge, which is passed into the explosion chambers from these and not from the crankcase. There are a lot of new features about the engine and the light lattice torque rods are unique. Messrs. Barriquand and Marre are on hand with a new 16 h.p. model, which is quite up to their high standard of design and withal very neat and compact, and the Calthorpe, which although the makers are not allowed to say so - did so well in the Four-inch Race, attracts much attention.

In the Rutherford steam car we have a model which made its first appearance last year, and now appears in considerably improved form. Here, as above-mentioned, we have the parts arranged so as to come well within the design of a petrol car with the generator beneath the bonnet and the three-cylinder vertical engine below the footboard. A lot of very useful little new features are embodied, including a low-speed pump and a thermostat regulator for both boiler feed and firing. It is nicely made, and deserves to rank high as a British exponent of steam.

And then we have Mr. Ralph Lucas's “Valveless," which attracted so much attention when described in "THE MOTOR” a couple of years ago and when exhibited last year. This is one of the most interesting exhibits in the Show, but has been altered out of knowledge for "public demand", - in other words, public ignorance and slavish adulation of the conventional — has led to the abandonment of all its distinctive features of design except the engine, which remains as before, but in larger – 30 h.p. — size. The rest is just an ordinary conventional live axle shaft drive chassis built up with parts made by David Brown, of Huddersfield, and hence good examples of motor-engineering work.

The Riley detachable wheels on a stand close by are good practical devices, and the successful 12-18 h.p. Riley car to which they are attached is, deservedly attracting considerable attention.

Then in the S. K. Simplex we have another new car bristling with original in design with gearbox and differential case in one, a very ingenious selective gear with the selectors inside the gearbox. The removable overhead camshaft on the engine and the extremely simple device for setting the cams strike me as being exceedingly good features, and the balance-weighted crankshaft is said to secure smooth running in the engine, although the two pistons in the vertical cylinders are arranged to move up and down together, a method which gives even spacing of the impulses, but fell into disuse through lack of balance in the reciprocating parts. Double brakes on the wheel drums are a good feature, and so is the Lanchester type springing at the rear with transverse spring in front, but I think there will be found need for a swivelling movement in the radius rods which steady the front axle. Altogether a most interesting car.

The new 10 h.p. Phoenix, with its engine set across the car and single chain transmission, is on sound mechanical lines, and probably uses less power in transmission than any other car of its size in the Show. It is it pity this principle of design is not more largely patronised, as it is far superior mechanically to the now almost universal cardan shaft, which takes the power round right-angled corners.

The small alteration made by the New Engine Co in the design of their front suspension is a good one, and should make for increased life in more ways than one, and the new control seems a useful device. I am very glad to see this firm making steady progress, for it has had the pluck to introduce an unconventional, though thoroughly mechanical, design, and prove its merits and stick to it, with, I am told, quite a gratifying revulsion of public feeling in its favour.

The three-point suspension of both back axle and gearbox on the Bentall car is a practically useful design, and I am glad to see both brakes working on the back wheels.

One of the most striking departures in design in the Show, however, which certainly must not be missed, is the Little Pilgrim, which is the simplest carrying out of the front-driving and starting idea I have yet seen. It ought to make a fine little business runabout for use on the greasy streets of some of our big cities. The double-opposed, air-cooled engine, combining the gearbox with the crankcase and the fore-and-aft springing, make it the nearest approach to the simplicity and directness of the American buggy-type cars - though differing ‘in toto’ from them - which has been seen on this side, and should fill the bill for a “poor man's mount."

The new 15 h.p. Deasy model strikes me is being a good thing, and the novel way in which the exhaust have been carried down so as not to interfere with the getting at the valve springs is very much to the point. By the way, talking of "15's," the Show is full of them, every other maker apparently having hit upon this size as being the one the public is thirsting to buy for next season, and there is some remarkably good value for money on offer in this line, as well as some remarkably low prices, whilst there is also to be found the "clever" exhibitor who lists a 25 h.p. as a 15 h.p. in the hope, I suppose, of impressing the public with the fact that his “15 h.p." is so very much bigger than "the other fellow's," oblivious of the fact that the man who is buying a 15 h.p. today is buying it because it is 15 h.p. and not a 30 h.p., it is just the extra expense in fuel and tyres caused by the powerful engine that he is anxious to avoid. Some people seem sadly wanting in perception.

The use of thin strips of ribbon steel in the tensional brake connections of the Panhard is, I think, an innovation. Certainly I have not seen it before, but it is good for all that and very neat.

On the Ariel stand is to be seen one of the most striking things in the Show in the way of bodies which is well worth careful and critical inspection. It is a limousine landaulet, in which the entire top is made to fold down or drop away, leaving an open touring body with doors and sides brought to one high keel. Certainly it ought to make a very useful "all-purposes" car. The ignition lead arrangements on the 30 h.p. chassis on this stand is a remarkably clever bit or design and casting, and the 20 h.p. model strikingly good value for money.

A few weeks back I told Mr. Instone he would have to arrange a chevaux de frise round the Daimler stand to keep off the people who would want to inspect the new Knight engine, and that his young men would have a strenuous time, and my prognostication is being most amply fulfilled, and both here and at the Minerva stand this remarkable new engine is being inspected by thronging crowds with the greatest interest, whilst, when they get to the separate stand at De Luca Daimler Company, they seem taken by surprise it seeing another Knight engine here, too.

Anyhow, the idea seems to have quite "caught on," and so has the idea of silence, for I note, marked up on several stands, such designations as the "Noiseless Napier," the "Silent Singer," and so on.

The Dennis worm gear is as much to the fore as ever and just as good, but why did the sign writer say that all other gears would soon be "obsolute"?

The Sheffield-Simplex attracts much attention through Percy Richardson's advertisement of the "abolition of the gearbox," but this is a misnomer. It is true the gearbox has been removed from its usual position in the middle of the car, but it has not been removed altogether, though it is very small and neat in juxtaposition to the differential casing, and it contains two speeds and reverse instead of four. Of course, it is for all practical purposes a gearless car, for the powerful six cylinders will pull the car anywhere below a 1 in 6 grade on the top gear, and it is the first attempt in a powerful and first-class car to adopt the principle I have for many years advocated (and adopted on my own cars) of so proportioning power, load and gearing to each other that practically everything can be done on the top gear, so that only an "emergency gear" and a reverse are required, and this appears to have been done very satisfactorily. I congratulate the designer on the boldness of his venture, and hope it will lead to a gradual recognition of the soundness and practicability of the system. The ball-bearing crankshaft used on this car is also a good thing.

Of course, the victorious Vauxhall of the 2,000-mile Trial is on hand, and very interesting it is. What strikes me about it most is, I think, the complete set of gauges with which it is fitted, so that the car could be driven with a view to the maximum efficiency at all times by keeping an eye on the tell-tale indicators, which, doubtless, had much to do with its success.

The new 8 h.p. Humber, with its two-seated body, hood and windscreen, is attracting much attention, and seems well cut out for providing the requirement of the medical or business man who wants a useful little “runabout" which will not bankrupt him in the purchase.

“Where is the wonderful car which has had £1,000 spent on the inside of the body?" I overheard a lady enquiring. Well, I haven't come across this marvel yet, and I don't think it is to be found, but about the fittest thing in body work I have yet seen is located on the Gobron-Brillie stand. It is not only in exquisite taste, but it is practical and “good" in the fullest sense of the term. The mottled finish leather with which it is trimmed is very fine, the sliding, folding, detachable extra seals and the fine springing of the upholstery, as well as the heavy cant given to the seating, combine to make it really luxurious. This is about the finest thing in the Show in the body line, and the rest of the exhibit is not less interesting, for the skeleton working model of the Gobron-Brillie double-piston engine is most interesting and most instructive.

The new four-cylinder F.N. car, too, which is exhibited by this firm, is really marvellous value for the money.

The very full elliptic springing of the new Sunbeam is good and practical, and the new Wolseley-Siddeley 20 h.p. six-cylinder car is attracting well-deserved attention, for a friend who has tried one tells me it is as good as it looks and one of the quietest, sweetest things on the road. The very broad and nearly flat transverse springs should make it remarkably easy riding, and I fancy the firm will do well with it next season.

The La Buire chassis, shown near by, too, is a fine piece of work, and the graduated scale-on the arcs on the wheel, over which the control levers work, is a little refinement, but a good one, which will be appreciated by the man who wishes to drive his car critically.

I have just passed the Daimler stand again on the second day, and I observe the sectional engine bears the legend: "Do not put your fingers into the cylinder ports." I suppose the usual Show idiot, who will meddle with everything he sees, has been "putting his foot" — or rather his finger - "in it." Don't you do that, dear reader, for those port slides will cut like a pair of scissors.

I see the Fiat has gone in for considerable flattening of the set of the springs, and I fancy we shall see more of this in the future, as it certainly tends to easier riding on rough roads.

The Lanchester firm have, so far, broken down their own precedent on the new six-cylinder model, as to substitute wheel steering for the lever used on the smaller models, and I have no doubt this will help sales, because, good as the lever undoubtedly is, especially in traffic, prejudice dies hard and conventionality has a strong hold on the public mind.

The new one-piece axle casing on the 4in. Thornycroft is a bit of good, sound construction, and the car, too, is a substantial and finely-built piece of machinery. The same chassis is also fitted with a 3.75in. engine for lighter work.

One of the most interesting bits of design in the Show is the new 14-16 h.p. Adams, with engine and gearbox built up as a separate unit on a secondary frame carried in the main frame on three-point suspension — a very useful design, especially on bad roads. By the way, it is interesting to note that, whilst this firm is sticking to its epicyclic gearing, it has so modified the construction of this as to give a third speed forward, which will be appreciated by some people under certain conditions.

A new feature in the Maudslay chassis, which I have not seen before, is the introduction of spring torque rods, arranged above and parallel to the radius rods, and this is a good feature.

Some of the new "15's" are really wonderful value for the money, and the new Straker-Squire is one of them, for it is a good, substantial bit of work, and so is the 1909 Vulcan, which has a novel and very bent system of grease caps covering the shaft bearings and excluding dust without the use of leather washers.

The Crossley is rather on the massive side, but a fine piece of typical British work throughout — one of the finest, in fact, and the new 20-30 h.p. model is well up to the quality of its precursor. These two cars are shown by Messrs. Jarrott and Letts, at whose stand, too, the little single-cylinder Sizaire-Naudin deservedly attracts much attention.

Another new car which is attracting much notice is the six cylinder 15 h.p. Delaunay-Belleville, which, I am pleased to see, has the cylinders cast in two blocks of three, and, talking of six cylinders, I see that Mr. Edge has one being run, per an electric motor, so as to show how quietly the parts move — and they do.

There certainly seems to be an increase in the number of cars using the thermo-syphon system of cooling, and I should not be it all surprised to see a still further adoption of this principle in the near future. The pump has, it is true, been much improved of late years, but, all the same, if it can be done without, so much the better, as the more working parts in a car that can be eliminated the better.

I note that in the Delahaye the short radius rods are centred with the fixed ends of the springs, which take the torque, and this is good practice, and I also note with much regret that the Cadillac firm have abandoned their very excellent and very perfect three-speed epicyclic gear on their multi-cylinder cars in favour of that anachronism, the sliding-gear. They have been forced to do this, Mr. Bennett tells me, by the ignorance and prejudice of the public, so many of whom refused to accept the higher and more perfect form of gear, because, forsooth, they "did not understand it," and hadn't the sense to find out; and as Mr. Bennett also told me — which I can quite understand — that they had never had a case of trouble with an epicyclic gear unless the oil had been left out — when any gear would go wrong, and that some of their gears had run 60,000 or 70,000 miles without being touched, it will be readily perceived what a remarkably perfect thing the public has allowed to go by. But then, it is no use throwing pearls — you know the rest, don't you?

I have already heard of several orders having been given, and there is, I think, little reason to doubt that, before the end of the Show, quite an appreciable amount of business will he done, though of course it will be, as it always, is, somewhat partially distributed. This remains to be seen, though one or two who have not done anything yet are pointing to the fact that the Show opened on Friday and that the day was the 13th with somewhat lugubrious forebodings.

On Saturday morning. I ran down to Olympia from Euston in one of the new 15 h.p. Austins, which Mr. Foyer, the Herefordshire agent, was good enough to place at my disposal, ant therefore able to say of this new car that it runs as nicely as it looks — quiet, flexible and handy — and is altogether a very nice car, and the firm should do well with it.

We have heard a lot of the adventures of the Gaggenau in Central Africa, and now one can see what the car is like. The overhead lay-shaft is good, and the vertical valves in the head abolish the use of valve pockets, and should give a very efficient engine, which should pull well on hills, but if a valve head does break off there is a possibility of trouble with the system, which I have myself tried, but abandoned for this reason. There was no one in charge of the exhibit at the time of my visit, but there is an arrangement of levers between the frame and the back axle which I can't quite follow, unless it is a shock absorber, though if it is I am not clear as to the action, and yet I can't quite see how it can act as anything else.

The "show" finish of the Roydale is unique and striking, the polished chassis being tooled all over. The brake system strikes me as good, as there are two brakes on the shaft drum, as well as on the wheel hubs. A new attachment to any carburetter — Bailey's patent — is also shown here, which is interesting, as it practically converts any carburetter into one of the two-jet variety.

All the exhibits I have above alluded to are to be found in some portion of the main hall, but the Annexe contains quite a lot of good cars, amongst which are the Mercedes, and there are several new and exceedingly interesting exhibits there, as well as the special car body makers' department. In this latter are some very striking things are to be seen, notably the drawing-room limousine shown by Vincent, of Reading, which is one of the most exquisite things of the kind in the Show, with its moulded, hand-painted ceiling. It is upholstered in grey ribbed cloth - which, by the way, seems to be the fashionable trimming for covered cars just now — and is most luxurious, with two very canny little folding seats, which can be shifted into any position — brought up to face the main seat, and then a shining table is brought into position between them, so that a hand at Bridge can be taken, or a social lunch enjoyed.

This luxurious body is fitted on an 18-30 h.p. Panhard chassis, and the whole thing weighs, complete, but 28cwt., so that it, as will be seen, is not excessively heavy.

Alford and Alder, who also show a handsome and elaborate limousine, have some very neat things in folding - supplementary skeleton seats, which shut right up and disappear under the driver's seat, and a very striking model is that shown by Messrs. Maythorn, who have a limousine with the top wholly removable, to be interchanged at will with a light top rail and moulding, carrying a Cape-cart hood and converting the car into a handsome side-entrance touring car. For anyone wanting two styles of body for different work, or for use her in summer or winter, this is well worth inspection, as the idea has been very well carried out.

Speaking once more of the Austin, there is the new sectional cone clutch, which has already been illustrated in "THE MOTOR," to be looked at, and this firm have something quite unique in bodies, in is which circular-fronted sliding doors are fitted behind the driver's seat, in an extension front landaulet. This is really quite interesting.

Tucked away right in the far corner of the Annexe is a car designated the "Nameless," which is full of very interesting new features. First we find the front wheels running on central swivelled hubs, the centre line of the steering passing through the vertical centre line of the wheels, a method which takes all stress off the steering, so that rack and pinion steering can be employed, and another little dodge in connection with the steering is an adjustable (for length) rear shackle to the front springs, which enables the cant, or set, of the steering angle to be altered, so as to get the best results. In the brakes a system of compensating is introduced, tending to secure evenness of action, which is distinctly good, as the parts react on each other, this system being applied to both the shaft and wheel brakes, and another and very distinct novelty, which is decidedly interesting, is to be seen in the silencer, in which the exhaust is split up and passed into about 16 long straight tubes, with flattened ends. Simple that and nothing more, but the nett results is to give an expansion space equal to eight times the volume of the cylinder, with considerable cooling effect at the same time, so that, taken altogether, it is a very interesting car.

A few days ago, at a Mansion House meeting, the Duke of Northumberland spoke strongly against motors, so it was with the utmost surprise that I found on H. J. Mulliner's stand a handsome limousine, built for him, and I was still more surprised to find that it was not a car of modest speed capacity, as one would have been led to expect, but one of the fastest and most powerful cars of the day — a 40-50 h.p. Rolls-Royce!

On Messrs. Lawton's exhibit is seen a departure which ought to be luxurious. It is a body separately sprung on the frame and hung on Cee springs. The design, too, is unique, resembling that of the old Sedan chair. This is well worth inspection.

The Chenard-Walcker is a neat little chassis, with weight carried on through axle and a gear drive on to wheel hubs, a design of which I do not think there is another exponent in the Show.

To the man who is looking for a useful all-round car, for the use of a country house, the Commercial Cars' "country house car" should appeal. But really this is truly a commercial car and hardly legitimately within the scope of this exhibition, as also is the solid-tyred Albion, or Lacre, which is really a 24cwt. van chassis, though of course it can be fitted with a passenger body and will make up into an extra strong vehicle.

The Pilain for 1909 is a most interesting car, the new floating back axle being especially good. In this the gearbox and differential casing are built into the rear frame and hung on the springs, the wheels running on a fixed through axle and the drive taken from the differential through short cardan shafts to the outside hub ends. This is a real improvement mechanically, more especially as the arrangement renders it possible to give the wheels a cant in their setting. The engine is a four-cylinder one, of 90mm., on the usual Pilain lines. The 38 h.p. model has a good feature in that it has all the brakes actuated by pedals, thus leaving both hands free to steer and control the engine — very advisable on a fast car, as this is.

The Humphris gear, of course, attracts attention, and the very neat way in which it is embodied with the rear axle is worth study. It looks to me as if there would be a considerable save in weight effected, in addition to the smooth run and direct action of the gear at all speeds. A new parallel suspension to the rear axle is also shown for the first lime, which should not be missed by those with mechanical inclinations, whilst the engine and gearbox and pedal gear, built up as one unit, which is a feature of the Imperia stand close by, also strikes me most favourably from a mechanical point of view.

Mann and Overton and the Unic are of course inseparable. The 14-16 h.p. four-cylinder chassis is a pretty piece of work for a light touring car, but when it comes to cabs, the two-cylinder is the thing, and if you don't believe it ask the firm, who have had a long experience of and supply both.

Another good car which finds a place in the Annexe is the S. C. A. T. It is as fine a chassis as ever, and the 22 h.p. model shown has the new automatic starting gear, which is good. A small pump worked off the engine fills a compression tank, from which compressed air is led to the cylinders, through automatic valves fitted in over the exhaust valves — valves are on opposite sides of the engine - and a touch of a button starts the engine by passing a compressed air charge into the cylinder, which happens to be on the firing stroke. It adds £15 to the cost of the car, but is a refinement well worth the extra money to many, and especially to professional men.

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