The Safety of Modern Cars
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
Sir,
I am appalled at the efficiency (?) of modern hand-brakes, which seem to have reached the state of the American “parking brake. It makes one wonder how many modern cars would pass the 10-year test even in new condition in this respect. The highest reading my friend’s 3.4 Mk. II Jaguar (disc-brakes) has recorded is 12%, and the highest I have heard of is 18%. Does it automatically follow that all disc-braked cars will be off the road in 10 years time? If so—what price progress ?
Since manufacturers’ faults can fail a car as well as wear defects, either the test regulation of 25% will have to be lowered, or a better brake produced for discs as all the 1956-61 disc-brake models will be failed en bloc.
Regarding the Moskvitch 407 saloon, I hope your remark of ¾-turn steering play meant ¾ in. as I don’t think Mr. Marples would like it very much. His test regulations are framed to make 3 in. a maximum, although there is no stated amount, just a typical “no excessive lost motion.”
I am, Yours, etc., C. Wild. Rhyl.
(Three-quarters of a turn it was!—Ed.)