22,OCT.1938 OT213MOTOR CARS FOR 1939 THE BRITISH 855 MJEDICAL JOURNAL - an attractive two-door saloon listed at £196. The chassis, the MOTOR CARS FOR 1939 only one of British construction embodying a front-wheel drive, is provided with a newly designed four-cylinder engine. THE EARL'S COURTEXHIBITION Among the special features is the location of the change-speed [FROM OUR MOTORING CORRESPONDENT] lever just below the centre of the instrument board with the pistol-grip hand-brake lever at its side, so that both these Reference was made last week to the increasing popu- controls are removed from the floor boards. The Citroen larity of four-cylinder engines for cars up to 12 or 14 h.p. company has added two new models to its range of cars- The annual analysis published by the Autocar, however, namely, popular saloons on both the Twelve and Light Fifteen taking all the models together, shows that vehicles with chassis at £198 and £208 respectively. Only slight modifica- six-cylinder power units are still in the ascendant, the pro- tions have been made in the Citroen vehicles, which are portion of such models to the total having advanced noteworthy for their independent front-wheel suspension and from 45.5 to 48.2 per cent. ; 35.3 per cent. of the new drive. cars have four-cylinder engines, the rise in this case being For the new season the Chrysler concern has a series of six from 32.5 per cent. The analysis also reveals that cars models ranging in power from 20 to 34 h.p., and in price with four-speed gears are far and away the most popular, from £335 to £975. Among the new features are independent the proportion of four-speed gears being 64.1 per cent. front-wheel suspension, an improved form of overdrive in as against only 29.4 per cent. for three-speed gears. connexion with the change-speed gear, which latter in certain The cars to be seen at the exhibition range in taxable models is controlled by a lever on the steering column, and h.p. rating from 8 to 51, and in price, taking those with a new "traffic lights" speedometer dial, which shows a small saloon bodywork as a basis, from £120 to about £3,000. green light up to 30 m.p.h., amber from 30 to 50 m.p.h., and The needs of medical men are so varied that no hard-and- red at higher speeds. In the latest Daimler Fifteen model the fast rules can be laid down as to the most suitable power of the engine has been increased to 18 h.p., to denote vehicles for their use. Where low travelling costs are which, and also in relation to its progenitor, the name has important any of the Tens can be relied upon not only been altered to the Daimler 2{-litre "15." Except as regards to perform satisfactorily but to have a good appearance the power unit, the chassis, which has independent front- -a point of some importance to medical men. The wheel suspension and, of course, the Daimler fluid flywheel majority, however, will probably make their choice among and self-changing gearbox, has not been altered. There is, the Twelves and Fourteens. however, in addition to the saloon, which sells at£485, a new four-door drop-head cabriolet. Alvis, Armstrong-Siddeley, and Austin The 12/70 four-cylinder Alvis with a saloon body is Dodge, Fiat, Ford, and Frazer Nash listed at£435, and as a drop-head coupe at£445. Only slight An interesting car of American design and construction is mechanical modifications have been found necessary, but the the Dodge, of which 20-, 24-, and 26-h.p. six-cylinder and bodywork has been re-designed to give more leg- and head- 34-h.p. straight-eight models are available. Like the room and at the same time wider seating. There are two new Chryslers, with which they are closely related, the Dodge Armstrong-Siddeley models-a Sixteen made in two styles of innovations include independent front-wheel suspension and saloon body, priced at£380, and a Twenty-for both of which an improved overdrive to which the name "dual power" has a new slogan,'"'balanced drive," has been coined to draw been given, this being designed to come into operation auto- attention to the harmonizing of the chassis, suspension, and matically on either top or second gear at speeds as low as bodywork to provide "restful motoring." Other features of 22 m.p.h. A five-seater saloon is available with either a the Sixteen include a new chassis frame and a fluted steel floor, 20- or a 24-hi.p. engine at£365. Among the Fiat cars, which which prevents any engine fumes passing into the interior of are of Italian design, chief interest centres in a new Twelve, the car. Only vehicles with six-cylinder engines are manu- which is supplied only with a saloon body at£227; there is, factured by the Armstrong-Siddeley concern, which is con- however, a special foursome drop-head coupe body on the tinuing the Fourteen and Seventeen saloons with only slight 10/12-h.p. chassis at£265. modifications, at£335 and£475 respectively. Although not shown at Earl's Court, it rnay be mentioned The Austin company has as ustual- a wide range, comprising that the Ford Ten car is in future to be known in its improved no fewer than twenty-seven different models of cars and seven form as the Ford Prefect. Outwardly it resembles the V-eight distinct chassis types-the Seven, Big Seven, Ten, Twelve, model scaled down, with a flat-topped bonnet and streamlined Fourteen, Eighteen, and Twenty-eight, the last-named being front. The new prices range from £145 for the two-door an entirely new model replacing the former 20-h.p. Austin. saloon to £152 10s. for the four-door model. The A.F.N. The first four have four-cylinder engines, the other three being company has three types of chassis-12-h.p., 14-h.p., and "sixes." Although there are no radical departures in the 16-h.p.-bearing the Frazer Nash name, and a series of four latest models, a great number of detail improvements have six-cylinder models ranging in power from 13 to 25 h.p., been made. Thus, the new design of engine with an known as the Frazer Nash-B.M.W., the name indicating a aluminium cylinder head, last year used only on the Fourteen, combination of German chassis with various British modifica- is now applied to the Ten, Twelve, and Eighteen models. tions. The prices range from £375 upwards, and the body Providing a higher compression ratio, this innovation, in types available include some attractively designed cabriolets combination with larger inlet valves on the Ten and Twelve, and coupes. is claimed to ensure a higher power output with at the same Hilman, Humber, and Hudson time a reduced fuel consumption. Among other modifica- tions which may be referred to are the higher and wider doors The popular 10-h.p. Hillman Minx has been reduced in on the Twelve and Fourteen vehicles, the hinged front seat price for the 1939 season, and, according to the makers' squabs on the Tens to allow greater mounting and dismount- announcements, their latest productions, while remaining ing space, and sturdier back axles to withstand the increased basically unchanged, embody no fewer than twenty-five new engine power on the seven and three next following types. features, chief among which are the all-synchromesh four- An important feature of the Austin 1939 programme is a speed gearbox, improved spring suspension, and more space reduction in prices of from £5 to £15; as one example it in the front seat compartment. Three models with saloon may be mentioned that the Ten sunshine-roof saloon is now bodies are available at £163, £166, and £175 respectively, at or less than last year. together with an attractive foursome drop-head coup6 at £210. priced £185, £10 A car which should appeal to medical men requiring a more B.S.A., Chrysler, and Daimler roomy vehicle than the Minx is the Hillman Fourteen, with Citroen, " evenkeel " A car which may appeal to the younger medical men is independent front-wheel suspension and the the includes synchromesh four-speed gearbox. Two models of saloon cars 10-h.p. B.S.A. Scout, the range of which now a:re available on this chassis-the Safety at £-239 and the * Concluded from page 807. De Luxe at £-255. THE BRITIShI 856 OCT. 22, 1938 MOTOR CARS FOR 1939 MEDICAL JOUIRNAL Various detail improvements have been made in the rear suspension is by a single transverse spring in place of Humber 16-h.p. and 21-h.p. Snipe cars; the saloons are the usual pair of longitudinal springs. The Renault body- now listed at £345 and £355. A new departure by the work is known for its spaciousness, the larger vehicles being Humber company is the introduction of a Super Snipe car able to accommodate three persons on the front seat. Prices -a British endeavour to provide a big-engined vehicle to range from £140 for the 8.3-h.p. saloon to £295 for the compete with American productions. The latest model 27-h.p. six-seater. possesses not only all the usual Humber features, such as Included in the range of Railton cars is an attractive 10-h.p.