A.G. WORSON
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tioned that our journeys are short and the morning, have been cold. necessitating much rise of tile ehitke as compared with the quick warm-up of the air-rooled engine, to whieli we were accusionicil. No doubt. with the warmer weather we shall obtain all ilnprOVellIelli with the :Austin, but I doubt if we shall ever exceed 45 mileper gut Ilotu.
The 2 e,v. is Tnitell more ertinfort able over tho carttrack tore la Unmade road in which we live, and one does not get so saddle-sore over at long journey.
So far as performance is concerned over good main roads tlie Austin Se7en is vastly superior. and we no longer have that griffin., experience of being waved on by a helpful lorry driver at 20 miles per hour on an incline and being unable to poll out the necessary extra power to pass in safety. e have found that the Austin gearbox, when the initial stiffness wears tiff, is not so bad as it has been painted. Nevertheless. it is not to be compared with the ” push and pull ” of the 2 c.v., which is delightful. It has to be appreciated. however, that one is constantly changing gear on the. 2 c.v. owing to the low power. whereas it would not normally be neeessary to desert top in the Anstin on the
road except for hills.
With regard to maintenance. we have experietwed the had work or a poor mechanic on the. 2 e.v. at at local garage. but, ballot:ally, being within hailing ilisitmee of Slough, we were able to get the far tory to rectify the deficiencies of its agents. expeeted great things of the B.M.C. Maintenattre Ser. ice Voucher Book syste.m. It seems sod’ an eXeelleIll idea. alld it Still be so if the (:orporatirm brought pressure to bear on it,
distributors and garages to ensure that the customer gets Ng Iour,’ deal. For instance, at the 2.000-mile service there are items providing for it change of wheels and the lopping up of the engine oil. hieing of a suspieions nature. where garage mechanics are coneerned. I ebalkmarked all the wheels before the car went in. and I rotted the oil level on the dip-stick. The car came back without the wheels being .’hanged and with no oil added.
When 1 telephoned the garage foreman Ill imptire why these items had not been attended to. he told Ille that he had overlooked the wheels, and had dealt with the oil but had t .tkcn a ” hot ” reading,. I suppose that I just look simple. The car was taken back the following day to have the job completed, and I spent an hour when the car was returned doing the wheel-change properly (with front-wheel-drive the eorrect rotation of wheels is vital). Incidentally, it is just as well that the 2 t..v. is still in the family,. because the Austin jack did not survive the first wheel-elumge.
Of course. we experienced the water leaks which was one of the teething troubles of the early batches of AD015 ears. but the Austin people at Holland Park Avenue treated us very fairly. after we had uteutioned your journal. by rectifying this defeet as at gesture of good will. although the warranty Was invalidated by resale. I do not understand the. reasoning behind this. and believe that it should be for a sperifie period irrespective of eltanges of ownership.
I feel that the Austin suffers by being produced at little too elmaply. If the prier, was raised by even at few pounds it would enable an adequate tool-kit to be supplied and effective interior lights to be installed. Those tawdry rimbellishers could. also be improved. It is extremely ilitbrult Lu, deeide whielt car one prefers. In fact it is impossible. beeause there are so marry features of both ears whielt they do not share. For instance. ilte rearward vision in the 2 e.N, is, poor owing to 11 plastic rear window. whereas the visibility in the .Austin is superb from all angles. The Citroen has the advan tage ronvertibility. which was greatly appreeiated last -winner,
il1111 the nist iuu is only availaltle itu SalOoll form.
In conclusion, it is. very 1aiea,a111. Ill Ile able ttt e011Illare a British Cur. after all the lost years. with a Contittental of sitelt advanced design.
am. A ours. etc,.
Ceti ards (ross. A. G. V vrsox. • •