DRIVING COMFORT Motoring

EACH of the two cars I have to report on in this week's Spectator has an outstanding quality which muit appeal to motorists of every age and predilection. These qualities are comfort on the road as expressed in springing, and swift and easy gear change. In these days one can nearly always take it for granted that, generally speaking, the control bf airs is satisfactory. Gear changing has of course irnproind- out of all knowledge, chiefly because of the adoption of special methods, either a pre- selective box, with or without fluid fly wheel, or an automatic clutch, synchromesh to two or more gears, free wheels (now becoming rare), and other dodges. - There, is really very seldom anything special to be said about the gear change in any car. Nearly all are excellent. I was, therefore, more than usually interested in the two principal features of these-cars, in the quite extraordinary suspension of the Oldsmobile and in the gear change of the Alvis which, in fact, reminded me of that prince of gear changes, the pre-War Mercedes. These two points made my trials really memorable.

The Alvis was the new 25 h.p. model known as the " Speed," a car which made its first appearance at Olympia last year. It takes a well-deserved place among those rather special cars which may be called truly continental, that is to say that it gives you an immense sensation of staunchness, power, ease of control and first-class road holding. It has the Alvis form of indepen- dent front wheel suspension which certainly contributes to its swift and easy cornering and to the general riding comfort. The gear box, its principal success, has an all-silent, all-synchromesh gear for which it is claimed that speeds may be changed as in a racing car. I do not consider this at all an exaggeration. You can in fact flick the gear lever up and down through the box as fast as you like, and with, as it were, no forethought. No pause at any point is necessary, and I took peculiar delight in snapping back from top to third at really high speeds and in feeling the engine pull unchecked. This naturally implies not only comfort and confidence in driving, butalso, on a long run, high average speeds. At high engine speeds the gear on second

is not of course absolutely silent, but it is certainly one of the qtnetest I have ever driven. It is a remarkably successful deSign:and;as. I said, takes one back to the days before double ' de-clutching- was ever heard of.

This Alvii is a really fast car, its quoted maximum being well over 90 on top, but there is very little to make you think of. the loathsome word " sports." The only point in which it might compare with the sports car is in the size of the body, but that cannot be regarded as a criticism at a period when , the craze is all for having as little room as possible. It is not the maker's fault but that of the public. The capacity . of the engine is 34 litres, the bore and stroke of the six cylinders being 83 by I 10. It is, as are all Alvis engines, a really beautiful

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piece of work, neatly laid out and properly accessible. Three S.U. carburettors are used and dual ignition consisting of a polar inductor magneto which is adapted by a special switch and a high tension coil to work as coil ignition for starting.

Nothing like 90 miles per hour was attained or attempted on the trial (it was a day of flooding rain) but I was able to drive fast enough to be assured that there was as much speed as one would want anywhere on - the Continent. The gear ratio is naturally high, 4.1, 5.9 and 8.3 on top, third and second, , the comfortable maximum on the last two being over 65 and , 55 miles per bur. My special steep hill Was" climbed extremely

fast on first and second and in every way.the performance of the car was alluringly lively. It is well sprung and the road , holding is excellent. Altogether a most interesting production and a notable addition to a class of car in which our industry

has not taken overmuch interest of late years. It costs £850.

The Oldsmobile which, by the way, is a Canadian, has been increased in engine size since last year from 3 J to 31 litres, the bore and stroke of the 6-cylinder side-valved engine being 87.3 by 104.7. the 'chassis has been ..dropped-.three inches but, I was very glad to notice, without necessitating the intro- duction of the detestable propellor shaft tunnel—an arrange-

ment which I consider inexcusable in these days. It retains one of its best features in the alinbst uncanny silence and smoothness of the engine. At no engine speed, was I ' able to force any but the faintest tremor from it. . Like the majority of -American cars,'it has a three speed gear box, but

unlike the old type, the gear is high. Over 75 miles per hour can be Comfortably attained in favourable circumstances with a very high cruising speed of well over 6o. About 5o miles per hour can be reached and held on second without noise or discomfort. .

The body, by Fisher, is the usual " steel-turret " design, extremely rigid' and most agreeably devoid of rattle or squeak, or, what is much more surprising, drumming in any form.

It is really comfortable everywhere, deeply upholstered and trimmed with a cloth that holdS one steadily in one's seat at high speeds. The only point I criticise is one common to practically every modern American car, and that is the shsallowness of the windows, which to a certain extent reduces one's view. There are no draughts and the ventilation is what it should be. The foot brake is very powerful and smooth in action, though the side brake can only be used for parking ; the steering is admirably light and steady, there is no rolling on corners and the car holds the road properly at all speeds. The gear change of a normal type is quick, light and easy.

It is a very pleasant car to drive, but all its good qualities are completely overshadowed by that extraordinary suspension. The riding is as nearly shockless at all speeds as it is possible.

Most modern cars are comfortable enough in the front seat, but the passengers in the back of the Oldsmobile certainly share this comfort to the full. At 70 miles per hour there is no more sensation of speed than there is at 4o, so steadily and evenly does it run. This is real comfort of the kind we ought to have had long ago.

The finish of the dashboard is quite special, an entirely new and attractive system of dial illumination being used. I call [Note.—Readers' requests for advice from our Motoring Correspondent on the choice of new cars should be accompanied 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.]