The Choice of Body-Opel .and- Closed _ _ I GET
a number of letters during the year from correspondents who are keenly interested in the type of coachwork to be selected with their new chassis, and especially is this so during the spring and summer. I am not so much concerned in this article with the question of metal versus fabric, as with the matter of open and closed bodies and the kind which provides a fairly hippy mean. During the spring and summer there is, no doubt, a revival, as far as this country is concerned, in the ordinary open touring car, but it is not a very serious one and becomes less and less important. The sports and semi-sports models of car have come back considerably in popularity, but many of these now have light saloon bodies. The whole trend of body design is towards the closed or, at any rate, the closable types. America has, of course, become the home of the motor—due in large measure to official foresight, which encouraged develop- ment and thus brought the- industry into the first rank. It
, - is natural therefore that AMerican 'influence as far as motor cars are concerned Should be felt throughout the world.
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The inexpensive closed body was :early brought to sucess, as COmpared Ato European progress, in the tinted States, and it was undoubtedly this achievenieiit which sealed the doom of the open car. In 1927, the National_AutomobileChamber of Commerce in America stated that out of theannual pro- duction of cars for the United States and Canada of 3,086,018 only 530,795 were of the open order, in other words, 83 per cent. of the year's production consisted of closed machines. The curve of percentage for this latter class has been rising steadily since 1915. Progress in much the same way has taken place in this country. British people are, as a whole, lovers of the open air, and it is, no doubt, this fact which has produced the compromise in the body which can be used closed and partly or fully opened. There is a good deal to be said for this class of bodywork, because the very fact of our climate being so variable makes it all the more desirable to enjoy any short spells of dry weather or sunshine, and to get much view. of the scenery as possible. The ordinary saloon with a fixed head has been much improved lately in details such as better finish and equipment, increased visibility duce to improved windows and -pillars, less chance of squeaks, and so forth, but the limitations are very much there and cannot be avoided. These are especially felt in touring in hilly or mountainous districts.
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From a manufacturer's point of view it is possible that the saloon which has a partly or wholly. movable roof or head is in the nature of a half-yray house in his conversion of the purchasing public's choice between the open and closed types of. body. Nevertheless, there is undoubtedly a certain vogue -here in what may he rightly termed the all-weather. There are various designs on the market, and it is indicative of their soundness that such are quoted is standard pro- ductions' hr many reputable makers' catalogues. This coach- work may roughly be divided under two heads, namely, that in which the roof can be wholly lowered and that in which a portion or portions of it. may te slid back. In the first instance the operation is by a handle which, through gearing, winds down the flexible head and stows it automatically. In one example which has been -on-the market now for some time, the whole of the roof is moved up or down by turning a handle on the near-side of the car towards the back. A set of gear wheels is placed between the upholstery and the panel in each rear corner of the bod'i....".'1'hese wheels connect with a light. steel -pivoted framework, which, when the car is closed, extends to:the front of it. A' flexible steel cable is inserted in eaciiAide.ot.the,tiead leather and_ automatically fits into a narrow water gutter and stretches the leather taut when the head is closed or-inr. - 'There are rows of invisible rainless steel cables to support the leather „roof in order to prevent sagging. The pillars and contrails Always remain in position. This Might. 'drawback -is, in my opinion, offset by the fact that the car can be run not only all open and fully closed, but with the head down and all the windows up. Thus, for example, in windy weather full view is obtained, but at the' same time good protection. In another-instance
in which conventional lines are retained, the only operation needed is the winding of a handle between the driver's seat and the off-side door. The hood can thus be raised or lowered while the car is in motion. It is clearly a point of convenience and one which appeals to the average motorist that no fastenings are used. It is claimed that the apparatus cannot get jammed and that the material cannot get pinched when the hood is folded down. There are adjustments for wear. A draught-tight joint is made between the edge of the cover and the contrails and between the peak and the top of the windscreen. The material is not stretched in movement as it is not in tension when it is being raised or lowered.
The body, whose roof . can be partly opened by sliding one or two portions towards the rear, is a compromise lietween the two types just mentioned and the ordinary fixed head saloon. It allows a good deal more air to be obtained than where the head is immovable, while it affords a reasonably good view of the sky and of hilly scenery. The waterproof fabric and the inside roof lining disappear as the sections of the roof are drawn back, while the inside of the roof, when closed, has the same appearance as that of a permanently fixed roof. The section can be opened by a half-turn of a handle and by drawing it back to the position required. It can be locked by a further half-turn. The movement can be made while the car is travelling. To close the roof it is only necessary to reverse the actions. The fabric is supported by invisible wooden ribs, which slide away as the roof is opened. This type of roof has the advantage of strength. It can also replace the existing fixed roof. Where two movable sections are fitted, front and back occupants of the car can suit their individual requirements as to sunshine, ventilation and so forth, since the sections are independently movable.
YOUR 'MOTORING CORRESPONDENT.
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