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Show oo Question, 'What Is High Speed Engine' Answered "What Is a high-speed engine?" This question put to a score of average ave-rage car owners who have no special mechanical knowledge will show that they regard tho term as having to do only with the rate at which the car mny travel. This common impression undoubtedly was created by the ease with which tho first' car powered with "high speed" engines shattered all American time records, but the benefit bene-fit galnod by this development, In addition ad-dition to gait, arc not well understood under-stood by the majority of car owners, as woll as many mechanics. Back in 1902, when tho few auto- motlvo englnoers realized that they were only starting the development I of tho modern motor car, an engino 'capable of S00 revolutions per mln-uto mln-uto was considered a remarkable power po-wer plant. The high -gear ratio necessary nec-essary to turn these 800 R. P. M. into high road speed was regarded as an unavoidable obstacle to efficient performance per-formance In lower speed or when tough lugging powor was required. Some engineers in those pioneer days were emphatic in their declaration that the power of an 800 R. P. M. motor could not be successfullj' applied ap-plied to anything but racing ears. The slower speed engines, allowing a lower gear ratio, wero regardod as i the practical passenger car power j plants. It was in 1903 that D. McCall White, designer of the new Lafayette at Indianapolis, then In the British isleB with Messers. D. Napier Son, Ltd., proved conclusively that the bore of the cylinder Is not tho vital factor in power and that the piston stroke need not be kept as short as possible. This Napier was rated at 2,000 to 2,200 R. P. M. Tho sraallbore, high-speed, long-stroke motor that permits of a gear ratio which combines swift road spoed with pulling and smooth powor In lower speeds was then accepted as the-most practical and efficient type. |