Two New Cars 15 Riley and 12 Wolseley
Motoring
AETR0LTGH there is no possible basis of comparison between these two cars and none is needed, they have one point of resemblance in that they are good examples of the sort of car which is slowly but surely taking the place, in the eyes of owners of common sense, of the so-called light cars of the past few years. They are bigger in bodywork and more efficient in performance. The latter is an important consideration even today when the maximum speed of ,alinost any car above 10-h.p. is reached only about once in every 50 attempts, because it implies swift acceleration and, what , is of still greater value, easy driving. A lively ear which needs little " stoking " is, all else being - equal, a, safer machine than one that takes its own time about it, for the- simple reason that it is much less tiring to drive-r-and there is nothing more dangerous on our extremely dangercaislioads than your tired driver. You cannot be alert if you are sick of driving, and if you; are not very alert you come automatically into the dangerous driver class.
The roomier body has the same effect, if in a different degree. When very young it may not matter to you that you have to be fitted carefully into your seat, and realise when you get there that there is no room for any but the essential movements required for driving the car, but most drivers are older than that and have discovered that lack of room is, in or on the long run, exhausting. For a car today to be really safe for anybody to drive it must have plenty of room in all three main directions—legways, elbow-ways ant headways. It is not enough that the driver's seat should be comfortable. It must be big enough—that is wide enough— for him to be able to change his position "a little from time to time. A scientifically designed seat of course makes this unnecessary, but these are so few that they can be left out of the calculation. In point of fact the only one I have ever sat in was in a small car—the defunct but deeply regretted 10-h.p. Schneider, and I remember reporting afterwards upon the incredible fact that I sat absolutely still for three hours while I tested it.
Neither the Wolseley nor the Riley is a big car, but in both every inch of space has been made full use of, and it is plain that in both cases the designers have worked on the right lines. there is room for four full-grown people and a reasonable amount of luggage in each of them.
The Riley is a very well-planned car and I was particularly taken with the details of its general arrangements. Luggage' is stowed in the built-in boot, with the spare wheel on the fall outside, and is the only part of the load that is carried behind the back axle. The batteries are mounted at the rear, under the hinged floor of the boot, properly accessible and the hand-brake is now put between the front seats. Here it is not in the way of either passenger or driver when it comes to getting out, with the result that there is no necessity for the driver to leave the car on the traffic side. This is, as we all know, one of the most dangerous tricki of the careless driver and one of the commonest. It is astonishing that there are not more accidents as a result of it. Both doors are excep- tionally wide and, for its size, the car is unusually easy to get into and leave. _
The engine-size is 62 by 95.2, the capacity being 1,726 c.c. and the tax-rating 111 5s. The familiar Riley design is ad- hered to, the overhead valves being operated by push-rods from twin camshafts. The gear-box is pre-selective type and the clutch is of the true automatic type. It disengages itself when the engine-speed falls below 600 revolutions thus providing a safeguard against rough gear-engagement. It worked very well and was pleasantly light in action. The brakes are of the " direct action " sort, without induced Pressure, and quite first-class.
On the road the Riley impressed me with three qualitieS, its remarkable engine-silence, its smooth running and its pleasant manners at the high cruising-speed of 55 miles an hour. It is eminently a restful car to drive and, as a result, its speed is often deceptive. The road-holding is very good indeed at high speeds, but I found the rear springs rather harsh. We were only two in the car and it may be that the normal setting is for a full load. It climbs well on second and better on third, particularly in view of its 27 cwt. ; it has a good lock and is generally speaking a handy car. It is very well finished, the instruments and their arrangement being a noticeable feature of a high quality car. It costs £365 for the " Falcon " saloon, £380 for the " Adelphi " (the model under review) and £380 for the " Kestrel."
The new Wolseley should score a success with its bodywork, whatever it may do in other ways. I have seldom sat in a better designed Twelve. It is, of course, modelled on the 25-h.p. body, itself one of the roomiest I know, but considering the short wheelbase it is remarkable how much space there is in it. You certainly can shift your position two or three times and driver and passengers do sit in real comfort. It looks smaller than it is, which is, I suppose, a sign of clever design. It has, in common with the big models and with the Morris, one feature which I value as high as any in body-design, and that is a very wide and high outlook. The screen is close to the wheel, well raked, and the front edge of the roof stops a little further back than is usual. The result is that you get almost faultless vision forward.
1..iuggage is carried in 'a roomy boot, but you put it in via the back squab, a method I do not care for much. There is plenty of room in the three essential directions for four full- grown people, the headroom being particularly generous. Driver and front passenger have as much room to themselves as in most cars of much higher power. That is the first safety factor, the second being the quite remarkable efficiency of the 4-cylinder engine. Its measurements are 69 by 102, the capacity being a shade over the 1,500 c.c., and the overhead valves are push-rod operated. The maximum speed according to the dial was well over 65 miles an hour on top and 45 on third, but the chief virtues were the acceleration and the flexibility. In the latter it easily beat many Sixes of equal power I have driven. It weighs 23f cwt. The synchromeshed four-speed gear-box has a very easy change and makes very little noise on the indirect drive. It is well sprung, the brakes and steering are excellent, and I regard it as very good value [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.]
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