THE TRIUMPH "GLORIA."

THE TRIUMPH “GLORIA” A I h.p. saloon of high quality which bids fair to become one of the most popular cars of the season.

THE advent of the Triumph ” Gloria” was one of the more important events of those exciting few months which preceded the Motor Show. Most cars have fairly attractive lines nowadays, but in spite of this the Triumph Company succeeded in producing a model which in both open and closed form had a distinctive appearance most pleasing to the eye. But they were not content merely with good looks, and a lively performance was assured by means of a well-timed fourcylinder engine of 1087 c.c.

Altogether the ” Gloria ” Triumph had just those attributes which make certain new cars an inevitable subject of conversation among motoring enthusiasts. In order to satisfy our curiosity—and that of our readers—as to the performance of the ” Gloria ” on the road, we asked Mr. Maurice Newnham, of Messrs. Newnhams, the London Distributors for Triumphs, for an opportunity of putting a car through its paces. His reply was to hand us the vehicle you can see in the accompanying photographs, with instructions to “do your worst, she’ll only like it ! “

Such a parting shot, as we let in the clutch and accelerated away from Newnham House, we took as a definite challenge and so we decided to pay Devonshire a flying week-end visit. Let the gentle reader, then, imagine himself to be with us as we set off early on a Saturday morning. Starting on a cold day is almost instantaneous, and a Lucas Startix automatically takes up its job if one should happen to stall the engine, which by the way quickly warms up to its work. However, respect for a cold engine and the western suburbs of London caused our gait to be a slow one for several miles, but in spite of this we covered a distance of 38 miles in the first hour of our journey. Another hour passed-42 miles this time— and then we entered the long straights of

Salisbury Plain, where our mileage for the third hour reached 44.

Now this performance is a fine tribute to the ability of the” Gloria” to maintain a high cruising speed, up hill and down dale, and what is more important, round curves and corners. Such average speeds would be creditable for a car of twice its size and of a correspondingly higher maximum speed. Timed over the halfmile at Brooklands the Triumph recorded exactly 60 m.p.h. so that to average anything over 40 m.p.h. demands a high standard of road-holding, especially when cornering. In this respect the Triumph was splendid, clinging to the road like a leech, without a trace of rolling. Of course the car is low built, but unlike so many ofe its type, there is really ample head-room and the occupants never have that boxedin sensation that often accompanies a saloon of low, sporting lines.

In fact the body of the ” Gloria ” saloon would be hard to beat. Its undoubted beauty of line, from whatever angle it is regarded, predisposes one in its favour, and this process is assisted by its good finish and attention to detail. The interior is just as good as that of many E500 cars, and is as comfortable for the driver as his passengers. The steering wheel, gear lever and pedals are all nicely placed, the windscreen gives a wide vision, and both front mud-guards can be seen without craning one’s neck.

Following Mr. Newnham’s. advice, we did not spare the Triumph throughout our brief tour of the West, and when we returned to London we found that some 550 miles of roadway had passed beneath its flying wheels. Such a distance and such a manner of driving gives one a very fair idea of the worth of a car, and reveals points of criticism which the ordinary owner would probably take some time to discover. Our criticisms numbered two, one of them being common to the majority of modern cars, and the other being of an easily remedied nature. The first is that the right-hand front pillar of the windscreen is too thick, and causes a blind spot •