Two 1936 cars were sent to me lately for review
in The Spectator, the new 9-h.p. Singer ,and the 24-h.p.
Talbot. In themselves and in their individual classes worth more than usual attention, the two, driven one immediately after the other, offered an interesting com- parison. One is .among the three cheapest ears made in this -country, the other among the five dearest, one a car for the hard-up, the other for that much smaller class which is not.
There is, naturally, no real comparison at all between them, but to me the interest of the trial runs lay itA watching two such widely different machines under- going the same tests and seeing what an extraordinary amount one gets for a very little money in the little car and how well spent the balance is in the big one.
Though neither of them was quite ideal for. the purpose, they provided a very good example of the two extremes of British motor design, the common feature of which has for several years been comfort, whether expressed in easy control, liveliness, coachwork or a lucky blend of all three. Both these cars, one costing £127 10s. and the other £895, possessed this quality in different degrees. - • To begin at the lower end. The Singer, known as the. Bantam, is of new design and in many respects an improvement on last year's Nine, particularly in hill- climbing.- 'The 4-cylinder engine capacity is 972 c.c., the rated power being 8.9 and the tax £6 15s. The valves are operated -by an overhead camshaft, driven by chain, an arrangement not very common among the lowest- priced cars, the 'crankshaft rims in two bearings, the pistons are-of an aluminium alloy and the unit is mounted in rubber. A good feature of the engine is that the general lay-out is very tidy and that the detachable head can be taken off without disturbing any accessories. The crank-case breather is fitted with a tube to keep the body clear of fumes, a necessary gadget which until , recently was seldom found in cheap cars. The battery is a 12-volt; ignition is by coil and distributor, with an automatic timing control. • The three-speed gear-box is synchromeshed between top and second, the ratios being 5.5, 10 and 17.75 to 1, with the unusually low figure of 23.6 on reverse —a gear that should be capable of dealing with the worst emer- gencies. The brakes are hydraulic, the lever working the rear shoes only. The bOdy-panels are of pressed steel, treated to resist vibration and .cut out drumming. The type I drove was the two-door saloon, and although as a rule I dislike two doors in a car designed to carry four people, I must admit that the Bantam body was as satisfactory an example of the kind as I have yet come across on a wheelbase of only 7 ft. 7 in. The doors are of generous dithensions and neither entrance nor exit need be too complicated a manoeuvre. The lines are attractive ; the general shape is not more than . moderately streamlined. A four-door body. on the same chassis can be had. for an extra 110. The- equipment includes an electric petrol-gauge auk:traffic-indicators and the instrument panel is indirectly illuminated. ' I The principal feature of this. little car _is the plucky pull of its engine. It gives the car a very goOd top-gear performance, with ready acceleration and a rather surprising degree of flexibility. It runs quietly enough —almost noiselessly when idling—and during the whole of the trial it struck me as being well over -its work. I found that its comfortable maximum was. something over 50 miles an hour, at which_ peed it ran consistently . without- fusi, while on- second it would do over 30. Reading over my notes' on the /935 '9;1:p. fiiid- that although the old car had a higher maximum it was a lot slower &i really steep hills. The new one, on a timed climb up a short hill with a gradient of more than 1 in 6, beat the old by no less than 9 seconds. The brakes are Very good indeed, the gear-change, if you allow the necessary pause for the synchromesh, easy and noiseless and the suspension comfortable.
The 24-h.p. Talbot limousine, which is the type known as " 105 " in a graver and more reverend guise, is a really fine example of a luxury car that does not cost a great deal of money. The coachwork is first class throughout and evidently designed by a motorist. The main compartment seats two or three in real lounging comfort, the back seat, adjustable for both rake and leg-length, having a large disappearing elbow-rest which allows plenty of room either up or down. There are two occasional folding seats which fold up and fit into the back of the front seat and their unusual.comfort is sensibly increased by being swivelled so that the occu- pants can sit in three different pOsitions. The equipment includes such things as cigar-lighters, step-lights, a microphone speaker, a superb built-in clipboard of bird's- eye maple, a cabinet-maker's job, .a flush-fitting sliding roof, and so on, but the two features in this remarkable body that struck me as the most sensible were its height and its luggage accommodation. The car looks as fashionably low as you might wish but it is all in the looks. The floor is unusually low and there is any amount of headroom. It is, in fact, a well-designed travelling carriage. The luggage boot is fitted with a . large suitcase and the lid folds down to carry a good deal more. The chauffeur has a private locker in the lid for his own stuff. A proper sort of car, in fact, for the lover of proper comfort.
The 6-cylinder engine has a bore and stroke of 80 by 112 and a cubic capacity of three and a third litres ; the rated power is 24 and the taN,418. I% is of the familiar Talbot design and a pleasantly clean job. The radiator has been given the rake which every modem car but two now exhibits, but there is no undue front overhang. The lines are excellent. The gear-box is of an improved Wilson pre-selector type, with a very good example of a traffic clutch. This begins to slip at below 500 r.p.m. and gives a perfectly smooth gear- engagement. It is certainly one of the best of its kind I have yet tried. I liked the chassis lubrication system, by which a single stroke of a hand-pump under the bonnet sends oil to every point, the supply-tank refilling itself automatically from the sump. Permanent jacking is fitted and the shock-absorbers are controlled by hand. The chief impression I got from driving this car was that for its weight, well over 2 tons, it was exceptionally lively. One does not attempt or expect really high speeds in this type of car, but the easy manner in which the Talbot reached and passed 70 miles an hour, in almost complete silence, showed that there is a con- siderable reserve of power. It climbed a long and winding hill nearly as fast as safety allowed and put up an excellent showing, on a steep pitch where weight tells against the most powerful engines. The springing was very good, particularly behind'. The steering was light and steady,. but I should have preferred it to have been a little more direct. I could not judge the effiFiency of the brakes properly owing to my•being,rather cramped in the short driver's seat, but,I was satisfied that they were powerful enough for all ordinary purposes.
Jonx PRIOLEALY.
[Note.—Readers' requests for advice from our Motoring Correspondent on the choice of new cars should be accom- panied by a stamped and addressed envelope. -The highest price payable must be given, as well as the type of body required.. No advice can be given ,on the purchase, sale or exchange' of used cars.]
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