From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Feasibility of an 8-cylinder engine versus continuing with a 6-cylinder engine.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 3\4\ 04-page025 | |
| Date | 27th April 1932 | |
| X4553 To A, from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Cerr to Mr.H.Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} re Bensport. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}4/27.4.32 Referring to your memo. suggesting an 8-cylinder for the above, I was up at Derby yesterday for the annual general meeting and had a two hours' conference in the morning when this matter was very thoroughly discussed. There is no doubt that the 8-cylinder idea sounds very attractive technically. After discussing it, I thought that we ought to throw our minds back to where we were when we decided on a 6-cylinder, 2 3/4 litre capacity. You will remember that, apart from all our preliminary discussions prior to your leaving England in December last, Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} raised the question later of making a Bensport with a J.1 engine. At that C., Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} and myself discussed the matter very thoroughly here and as the result C. dictated some notes under the heading of "what we have in view and why". I enclose a copy of these notes for you to read. These were read at the conference yesterday and we definitely came to the conclusion that we ought to adhere to our original decision. You will see that, if the car became an 8-cylinder, it would mean that, instead of drawing its interchangeable parts such as gearbox, back axle etc. from "Peregrine", it would have to draw them from J.III. It would be in the J.III class so far as RP. Tax etc. are concerned, but by reason of the fact that it had an 8-cylinder engine instead of a 6 and a supercharger it is fairly obvious that it would have to be a more expensive car than J.III which is just what we do not want. What we really want is more work for Derby. At present we are struggling along with chassis business with an output of about 5, 20/25's per week and a mere driblet of 40/50's. | ||