CHAPTER III
THE CHOICE OF A MOTOR
By Alfred c. Harmsworth
Few undertakings require more care and caution than the choice of a motor-car. Of the three or four hundred types and varieties now in existence, many are of no practical use, some are extremely complicated, not a few dangerous, and many more or less faulty in construction. The difficulty of the choice is increased by the fact that almost every enthusiast recommends the particular kind of carriage he himself possesses, and in addition every manufacturer claims, and possibly believes, that his is the only possible automobile.
My own experience, though not nearly so extensive as that of such veterans as Mr. Rolls and many others, is, I venture to believe, as varied as that of most chauffeurs, and I think I can claim to be free from prejudice. I am running at present four cars of French construction, two of American, two of English, and some others which are practically English. Three are driven by petrol, three by steam, and two by electricity.
I shall speak quite frankly of each method of propulsion. To-day my own experience teaches me that in the year 1902 a good petrol engine is infinitely the best for all-round work. That is to say, if one intends to own a single motor-car only, and desires occasionally to travel for long journeys, there can in my judgment be no doubt that a petrol engine, with a Daimler or some similar type of motor, is the wisest purchase. The point is a contentious one; but I selected this type of engine as the best for use five years ago, and since then time
