The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 34

2 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN DRIVING FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2003 Roberts: Bad roads, police escorts I mm" II IV 2f if-7 mJf 1 A tiny car by the standards of the day, the Austin Seven averaged 48 called it 'certainly the toughest thing I have ever Continued from page Ci The British import might qualify as a midsized car today, but back then it was considered downright tiny. Mr. Roberts, however, sensed that the Austin was an efficient, sturdy machine. His hope was to drive across Canada and establish a transcontinental speed record while consuming a minimal amount of fuel. The thought of the little Austin Seven racing across the wilds appealed to Ogilvy's head of auto sales.

The British American Oil Co. felt the same way, readily accepting an offer to be part of 'the campaign by providing gas, oil and service at its stations across the country. His final plans looked like something out of a military exercise, complete with detailed maps he received from every 'provincial government as well as from the northern border states, since he would have to motor south of Lake Superior and south of the Rockies the TransCanada Highway was still a distant dream. He listed the 350 towns and villages and 43 larger population centres he would visit and calculated he would make 27 refuelling "stops. In late September, Mr.

Roberts arrived in Montreal to pick up the baby Austin and drive it to Halifax, where he would begin his cross-country crusade. The head of Oglivy's garage wrote: "The car to be driven around Montreal at 15 to 20 miles an hour for 250 to 300 miles. Then returned to the maintenance shop and gone over. Then driven to Halifax at -20 miles an hour and undergo a complete checkup." Mr. Roberts would note: baby was a tourer brand new and fresh from the works a stock car, nothing more." He kept a diary of his journey, but wrote it through the anthropomorphic eyes of the taby Austin Seven.

The diary on Sept. 28, 1933, as the car sits forlorn in the Ogilvy's showroom in Montreal. "Canadians seems to prefer saloon cars," it lamented, "and I have lost most of my pals who came over from England on the boat with me. It is get ting late in the fall and I may be here until spring." However, things picked up the following day when the Austin noted it had a visit from the showroom manager and a man named Tom who looked me over critically and said, 'This is the "So I am now in the maintenance garage getting tuned up for a long trip. It seems Tom will be my boss so I will call him that." On Oct.

3 the British American Oil Co. sales manager in Toronto sent a directive to all BA service stations across Canada. It read: "On receipt of a wire from the previous port of call, our representative will arrange as follows: Meet the Austin car at the outskirts of the town or city; escort him to our nearest service station or branch, deliver him such supplies of gasoline, oil and greasing service as he may require; immediately wire the next port of call and if requested, escort him out of town and forward at once a complete report of his visit. You will recognize that a news item of this kind should have considerable advertising value to the company. It might be possible to have the local police chief accord Roberts a motorcycle escort.

It is vitally important that this man encounter no delay." On Oct. 4, the Austin's diary read: "Hurrah. I know what it is all about now. The boss said: 'Well, little pal, you covered those 900 miles from Montreal like a thoroughbred. So you think you can take the punishment from here to On Oct.

5: "We left the front of the Halifax Herald offices sharp at 10 a.m. after a lot of handshaking and good wishes, being escorted to the city limits. The boss is not fooling now as my throttle is wide open all the time and the roads are fairly heavy gravel and hilly." Mr. Roberts carried with him the best wishes of the mayor of Halifax, a letter to the mayor of Vancouver and a bottle of Atlantic Ocean water. "I thought the boss had us both arrested in Quebec City," wrote the baby Austin, "as a red police car met us way out of the city, but it was just part of the reception." Oct.

6: "We reached Ogilvy's his arrival. His luggage consists of one club bag, two oil cans and a spare tire. He had only 20 hours sleep in 2,700 hundred miles of travel. 'Wait til I'm in he said, 'then watch me Oct. 11: "5.15 a.m.

saw us in Medicine Hat, and on through to Crowsnest, B.C., right in the Rocky Mountains where we certainly struck some long climbs." Oct. 12: "Here we are on the last leg of the great run, we have to make Vancouver by tomorrow morning. We crossed back into the United Sates at a place called Kingsgate, Idaho, and on to Spokane, Washington, and then 300 miles to Seattle where I had my first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean and then up the coast to Vancouver." Mr. Roberts arrived in Vancouver on Friday, Oct. 13, to a welcome usually reserved for sports stars.

Although it isn't clear today what the previous records were for economical transcontinental travel, or whether any existed, he had certainly set the standard with a driving time of 125 hours and 43 minutes, travelling 4,029 miles over eight days. The car averaged 33.3 m.p.h. and got 48 miles to the gallon at a cost of Department Store in downtown Montreal in record time and the boss went to the hotel for the first time since we left Halifax." Oct. 7: "Ottawa is our next stop and the boss is full of pep, then to Pembroke where the pavement ends and then we have to cover terrible roads through the forest to Sault Ste Marie." Oct. 8: "We take the ferry and cross into the state of Michigan, 1,522 miles from Halifax.

Had some very bad roads out of Duluth but drove through the night regardless. Foggy along the way which made me feel quite homesick." Oct. 9: "Cross into Canada at Emerson, and on to Winnipeg where the boss stops for two hours to give me a thorough greasing, then onto the Prairies where it is raining hard." By this time, Mr. Roberts had no trouble generating publicity for the car and his sponsors. The Regina Leader Post wrote: "Mr.

Tom Roberts, who is going places in a hurry and making no bones about it, rubbed the sand from his eyes, stepped on the tiny accelerator in his tiny car and whizzed out of Regina at 2.40 Thursday afternoon, just 10 minutes after RECALLS Russian diplomats irked by copped parking spaces Worn ignitions could miles per gallon in the eight-day rush $22.60. The Vancouver Province wrote: "The driver not only holds the transcontinental record for an Austin, but also the speed record for any make of car on the 284 miles between Ottawa and Toronto established in 1925 in five hours and 17 minutes. He is an aviator by hobby and was the first secretary of the Canadian Flying Clubs. He showed no sign of fatigue in Vancouver and planned to leave via the all-American route and take in the Chicago World Fair on the way home." In his diary, Mr. Roberts wrote: "Within a week we had stolen a few drops of water from the Atlantic, well-shaken they were, and used them to dose the Pacific much to its surprise, no doubt.

The Seven is certainly the toughest thing I have ever driven." The trip home was more leisurely, though by now, Mr. Roberts was longing to see his wife, Kay, and young daughter, Barbara. But Ogilvy's wasn't through with him. The store presented its adventurer with an engraved silver tray to commemorate his achievement, and in November took out a full-page ad in the Montreal Star, thun let cars roll 1,500 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 sport-utilities from the 2003 year. The federal safety agency says a mounting bolt may not have been properly torqued and could allow a front caliper to rub against the wheel or separate from the vehicle.

Brake power would be lost and the brake line or tire could be damaged. Dealers will tighten the bolts. BMWs 2004 X5 sport-utility is being recalled to have driv-eline fasteners and an engine mount tightened. According to Transport Canada, loose fasteners could cause noise and, in an extreme case, the separation of the right front output shaft. Fred Deeley Imports Naughton, but our $63,095 test XC90 rode like a sedan or at least a minivan.

2003 Jeep TJ Rubicon, Nov. 14: You can buy a base TJ and add the aftermarket bits to make it unstoppable, says Robert Bostelaar, or you can spend $30,41 5 on a Rubicon that comes ready for anything. How to reach us Editor, Driving: Robert Bostelaar Phone: 596-3719 Donnelly Mitsubishi Orleans Mitsubishi immj Tony Graham Nissan Walkley Nissan 417 Infiniti Nissan Jack May Pontiac Buick Ltd Sunrise Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd Surgenor Ponliac Buick GMC Hummer Ltd Turpin Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd Marcel Belanger Pontiac Buick GMC Inc. Mark Motors 01 Ottawa Ottawa Motors across Canada. Tom Roberts dering: "Don't miss seeing the record-breaking Austin in our show window." Mr.

Roberts and the baby Austin were on display in the fourth-floor showroom for three days while the British bosses back in London were falling over themselves touting the heroic exploits of their' 7 h.p. Austin Seven in trie colonies. With her own daughter, Catherine, Mrs. Edwards is a careful custodian of the clippings, photos and trophies Her father left behind. And she fondly recalls his many whimsical exploits, including a 1946 two-month journey of leisure the family took in his 1928 Cadillac, eventually ending lip in Los Angeles where the v'ip-tage car sporting Canadian plates was an instant hit with the locals.

The bilingual Tom Roberis, through his long association with aviation both as a pilot and for a time as a flying instructor in Toronto, was appointed manager of the Ottawa Airport in 1939. He was serving in that capacity in Igji when he succumbed to cancer at age 60. Tom Roberts Road off Lime-bank near the airport is nariied after him. in neutral Canadian distributor of Hariey-Davidson and Buell motorcycles, is recalling the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt and Xi Lightning because of throttle problems. An idle control cable c3n dislodge and prevent the throttle from returning to idle when the operator's hand is removed from the twist grip.

Dealers will install a clamp to hold the cable in place. Recall notices are mailed to" vehicle owners and may take1, several weeks to arrive. Ifydu believe your vehicle may be subject to a recall but do not receive a notice, contact any dealer that sells that make of vehicle. Mail: Driving, The Ottawa Citizen, 1101 Baxter Box 5020, Ottawa K2C 3M4 E-mail: 1 drivingthecitizen.canwest.corh' Advertising: Automotive account executives Chris Buell 596-3534 Rico Corsi 596-3532 Greg Stimpson 596-3596 Category sales manager Eric Kalbfleisch 596-8596? Turpin Saturn Saab Isuzu Saturn Saab Isuzu 417 Awnsnm Ogilvie Motors Westboro Auto Imports Ltd. 417 Suzuki Suzuki of Ottawa Bel Air Lexus Toyota Mendes Toyota Tony Graham Toyota AMiHiMMdir Bytek Automobiles Inc' Citiwest Motors Inc Hunt Club Volkswagen nmssjk Carling Motors Ltd Mitsubishi is recalling its 2003 Galant, 2004 Eclipse and 2004 Eclipse Spyder because of potential fuel leaks.

Restrictions in a fitting at the fuel pump could cause pressure to build up and dislodge a return-line hose, Transport Canada says. Dealers will check pump pressure and modify pumps that don't perform to specifications. The risk of fuel leaks has also prompted the recall of nearly 9,500 Kia Rios from the 2001 year. Dealers will inspect the fuel distributor and fuel connector assemblies and replace them if required. Potential brake problems have spurred the recall of about By Tony c6t More than 44,000 Hondas and Acuras from the late 1990s have been recalled to replace ignition switches that can wear out prematurely.

Transport Canada says the worn switches could allow drivers to remove the key without putting the transmission in park. A car or van left in neutral could roll and pose a hazard. Models involved are the 1998-99 Honda Accord coupe and sedan, 1999 Honda Odyssey minivan, 1997-99 Acura CL and 1999 Acura TL. Dealers will inspect them and make repairs as necessary. Check out www.drivinp.ca for hundreds of reviews of new cars, trucks and vans plus classified ads, factory specifications, new model previews, payment calculators and other buying tools.

Among our recent reports offered in full online: 2004 Mazda6 GS V-6, published Dec. 5: In the vast fleet of midsize family sedans, this is the handling leader, says Grant Yoxon. With options including automatic transmission, our test car cost $31,965. sent the pictures," Mr. Lavrov said.

"But so far, to no avail." Each side takes the parking battle personally: A Beloruss-ian diplomat was sent home in 1996 after punching a police officer who was writing a ticket for parking by a fire hydrant. In 1997, the police issued an average of 90 tickets a day to official Russian vehicles. Last summer, after the diplomatic community's outstanding fines reached almost $22 million U.S., Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a midnight deadline for the countries to pay up or have every car with unpaid tickets towed. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, concerned that U.S.

diplomats overseas would face retaliation, brokered a last-minute compromise: Every country would receive two dedicated spaces that the city could revoke if too many tickets piled up. That move has reduced diplomatic tickets by 87 per cent this year, the mayor's office says, and the Russians have become model citizens. But it hasn't completely solved the problem: Egypt now tops the list, with 17,825 violations and almost $2 million in unpaid fines since 1997 that's an average of nine tickets a day every day for the past 6 years. The Los Angeles Times Southbank Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ltd Embrun Jim Keay ROAD TESTS ONLINE NEW YORK For years, New York City, like other cities with a large community of foreign representatives, has been battling deadbeat diplomats who refuse to pay their parking tickets, citing diplomatic immunity. Russia used to be the top offender, with its 178-car fleet receiving 31,388 tickets in one record-breaking year.

But now the tables have turned. Somebody is parking in spaces designated for Russian diplomats, and the police refuse to ticket them. That's because the scofflaws are the police themselves, says Russian ambassador Sergei V. Lavrov. "All the time, the places are taken by police cars, private cars of police officers, and the fire brigade.

Police are supposed to issue tickets to cars in those spaces. But they never do." The Russian Mission to the United Nations is located on 67th St. across the street from the New York Police Department's 19th Precinct headquarters, making the matter a literal faceoff between police impunity and diplomatic immunity. Masters of surveillance, the Russians have watched police officers slip into diplomatic spots, and then snapped photos as evidence. "We have formally protested to the State Department and HISSES Cameo Automobiles Inc msns Mark Motors of Ottawa Elite Automobiles Inc.

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28: Revised for 2004, the world's best-selling vehicle is more carlike than ever. Still, Robert ESoste-laar says our $49,925 SuperCrew Lariat showed no sacrifice in the F-1 50's traditional truck strengths. 2004 Volvo XC90, Nov. 14: Volvo's first sport-utility may be built like a tank, says Derek Mc- www.oncda.com rrmn Bank Street Kia Donnelly Kia rmm Rim Kia 417 Land Rover Belisle Automobile inc. ChevOlds Cadillac Carl Elliott Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd Jim Tubman Motors Olds, Chevy Trucks McNeil Motor Sales (Manotick) Ltd Mews Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd Myers Chevrolet-Olds-Cadillac Ltd Ford Sales Inc.

Ford Lincoln Sales Ltd. Kanata Ford Lincoln Heights Ford Sales Ltd. Mont Bleu Ford Inc. Sterling Ford Sales (Ottawa) Inc nmsm Civic Motors Ltd. Dow Honda Motors Ltd Hunt Club Honda Ottawa Honda Acacia Hyundai Bank Street Hyundai West Ottawa Hyundai 417 Infiniti Nissan Ltd ummi Campbell Jaguar COMMITTED TO CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Bel Air Lexus Toyota Tony Graham Lexus Toyota Donnelly Ford Lincoln Jim Keay Ford Lincoln Sales Ltd.

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