Motors and Motorin
14 h.p, Hillman Safety Saloon THE 14 h.p. Hillman Safety Saloon is a useful type of general purpose car. It has a wheel-base and track of 9 ft. 6 in. and 4 ft. 8 in., which measurements give adequate accommo- dation, while with its 35 b.h.p. and four gear ratios it has a sufficiency of power and speed for work at home and abroad. Ground clearance is 8i in. This de twee model of five-seater, with unsplinterable glass, wire wheels, dipping headlamps, furniture hide upholstery, servo-assisted four-wheel brakes and so forth, sells at £375. The standard saloon, rather less luxuriously equipped, is priced at £325, which is the same cost as the safety tourer. Among other models may be quoted the ordinary tourer and Weymann saloon which sell respectively at £295 and £335. In this review I am concerned with the safety saloon, although of course the chassis details are the same with each model.
The cooling water circulates naturally through a film type of radiator which is carried on the cross member. Behind it is a fan, and the driving belt can be tensioned without trouble. Timing is by chain, and on the off-side under the bonnet there are the tandem-driven generator and magneto. Owing to the generator being held to the timing case by bolts in slotted holes, it is possible to tighten the timing chain which drives these electrical units from the outside. The make-and- break is rather far back, but it can be inspected with the help of a mirror, and the distributor, being vertically driven.
is handy. On this side,-also, there is the oil -filler, which is in a convenient position, has a gauze inset, and an easily- detachable lid. Nearby is a float level indicator. The oil is forced to the crankshaft, camshaft, and big end bearings and there is a positive feed to the timing gear. Loose pipes in the engine have been eliminated and the relief valve can be adjusted. The oil pump is attached to the outside of the crankcase and can be got at from under the bonnet. The main filter can be withdrawn at the side of the sump, where the lubricant can also be run off. The fitting here, however, might be made simpler. Side valves are employed in this 4-cylinder engine and the tappets are automatically lubricated, which is a good point. The cover plate is held by bandscrews, and when it is removed free access is afforded for tappet adjustment. Just above is the carburettor, which is accessible, and on the dash there is a vacuum tank.
The main reservoir is at the back of the chassis, has a three- way tap which allows a reserve 'supply, and a filler to the side in which there is a pull-out extension with a gauze. The petrol gauge is on the instrument board and so alway s in sight. There is no difficulty in raising the cylinder head, and the sparking plugs in it are freely workable and without a special spanner. At the back of the head there is a simple vibration damper. The four-branch exhaust manifold has the pipe connexion forwards, so that the floorboards will not be overheated. For the steering worm and wheel are used, and the box is held to the crankcase. This method has a drawback where an engine is poorly balanced, as it is apt to communicate undesirable vibration to the driver's hands. There is no question of this with the Hillman, while the box is independent of frame distortion.
The transmission, like the rest of the chassis, is simply planned. There is a single plate dry clutch with ball bearings for the spigot and the withdrawal, and the whole is enclosed, the housing face being cast integral with the gearbox. The starter is built-in on the near side under the floorboards. There are four forward speeds with ratios of 5, 7.75, 12.8, and 19.9 to one. Reverse is 16 to one. The control is by an off-side lever which works in a visible gate and has a stop for reverse. The gate is independent of the frame, which is correct practice where unit assembly of engine, clutch, and gear-box is employed together with three-point suspension. In the case under review, the assembly is held in front in rubber. The gear-box filling and level plugs might be improved upon. The open propellor shaft now has metal universal joints. It transmits the power to spiral bevel gearing in a half-floating axle which has an ordinary type of case. There is a top vent which serves as a filler, while :there is a level filler also.
The frame is upswept at the back, and is designed to give a low centre of gravity. Both front and back the springs are half elliptical, are splayed, which tends to minimize rolling, have snubber leaves, and work with shock absorbers. There might be stops at the back of the rear shackles of the front springs. The rear suspension is underhung. It is an asset of this Fourteen that there are six brakes, the off-side pull-up band lever expanding shoes at the back which are separate to those worked with the four-wheel brake pedal. Adjustment in the case of the handbrakes can be made primarily by turning a knurled nut on the top of the lever. There is a handwheel under the floorboards by which wear can be taken up in the four-wheel brake set, while similar means are provided for individual regulation in front and the four cables used at the back can be shortened in effect with the help of a tool. The front brakes are worked by. rods. The system of operation is a well-known and tried one, and includes the use of external pull rods. The brake drums are enclosed, the front axle has rounded ends, and the dumb irons are stiffened by a cross bar. These points are useful with forward braking. The pivot pins are inclined. The steering rods are well up and behind the front axle, where they get protection. The Dewandre vacuum servo motor is on the off side of the gear-box. The wire wheels- carry 29 by 5.25 in. tyres, and the spare is at the back of the body and in front of a folding luggage grid. The jack and tools are kept in a cupboard under the bonnet. The petrol tank holds 12 gallons, the accumulators are of 44 ampere hour capacity. The bore and stroke of the engine are 72 and 120 mm. making the capacity 1,954 c.c. The lighting and starting are 12-volt, and—since garage space so often assumes paramount importance to-day—I am giving the overall length with grid up and down and overall width and height, which are, respectively, 13 ft. 61 in., 14 ft. 8 in., 5 ft. 8} in., and 5 ft. 84 in. I liked the body, which is well fitted and thoroughly comfortable. The furniture hide gives it a smart appearance inside, coupled with good wearing qualities. The front seats are adjustable and have pockets in the backs. The back seat has been kept low and there are arm rests at the sides. Ventilators are in the roof and the scuttle. Six side windows are provided, and the four glasses in the doors are movable by winders, which are rightly placed for convenience. The blind over the back window can be worked from the driver's seat, which is useful to avoid- glare from behind on the windscreen. This last is of the adjustable
one-piece pattern. A good small point is the shading of the roof light towards the front seat and screen. The makers have certainly studied the question of safety in this production. I do not say that the car cannot be pushed to higher rates, especially under favourable conditions, but the advisable maxima on top, third, and second are about 50, 35, and 25 miles an hour.
The engine ran sweetly and, for its type, was satisfactorily lively. For the most part it works without ostentation. Occasionally at high rate one can get a little overrun which causes a small amount of hum. With the clutch and gear change actions I was well pleased, and the steering passed my tests. The wheel is nicely set up, and a proper position saves considerable fatigue on a long journey. On the top of the column there are tidy controls for the throttle, the spark, the dimming of the lamps, and the electric horn. I do not call the suspension perfect. It is true that there were only two persons in the saloon and that possibly the shock absorbers made the action rather stiff. The springing may, however, be justly classed as fair-to-good. Hillman brakes arc efficient, and the vacuum servo assistance makes the four wheel braking quicker in response than usual. I tried the car on a hill which has an entirely uncompromising gradient of about 1 in 7. Second gear was, of course, eventually required, and on this ratio 18 miles an hour was the lowest shown. The cooling worked effectively. With its straight line for the bonnet and scuttle and re-designed radiator, this Hillman saloon has an
appearance which attracts and pleases the eye. The world exporters of Hillman cars are Rootes, Limited, of Devonshire House, Piccadilly, W. 1.
YOUR MOTORING CORRESPONDENT.
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