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).
Copy of a letter from 'PN' to 'CJ' discussing car performance, a potential 'Speed-model', and issues with temperature and steering.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan004 | |
| Date | 8th March 1920 | |
| H.R. 235 a 50 T. 18.B. 929. 19-11-19. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} 2527 COPY OF LETTER FROM PN.{Mr Northey} ----------- Hotel Negresco, 37, Promenade des Anglais, Nice. 8th March, 1920. My dear CJ., I received your wire today relating to "piston rattles" and will watch this point specially; so far none has developed on our Trials Car nor on Rocksavage's car, which latter has non-split pistons. I wired you today as per enclosed confirmation. I lunched with the Rocksavages and spent most of the day with him making comparative tests with the two cars. He is undoubtedly most pleased with the way my car holds the road and is free from cross-see-sawing on bad roads, resulting from the use of rear shock-absorbers. Later on when his car returns to England I should like to fit it with specially stiff springs (no split leaves) and give him as high a cylinder compression as we possibly dare, consistently with reasonably smooth pick-up. I think that on our "Speed-model" or whatever our fastest type may be called, an owner should be able to run up to 75 miles an hour when the conditions are all favourable, including an abnormally light type of body having small windage. I should like to urge forward production of thermostats and especially some form of radiator screen or louvres. I recently saw one set of the latter in Piccadilly which looked extremely neat (vertical louvres). When coming down the Esterels, the temp. of the engine water fell below any indication on the thermometer (as described by Salamanca). After leaving Roanne on Friday I had to remove the smaller blanking-plate to keep temp. right and avoid boiling; this plate has had to be replaced the last two days. Rocksavage's steering has started a wobble at about 30 miles p.h. Salamanca and Entwistle are, I am informed trying certain wedge shaped plates to neutralize this. This action seems to me to be wrong. The Works have already, I remember made experiments ad nauseam in this connection; so that altering the angle of steering pivots should not now be a matter for experiment. I am arranging for the front wheels to be carefully balanced and cross-steering tube | ||