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).
Vehicle body design, including spare wheel location, door construction, and mudguard aerodynamics.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\1\ Scan052 | |
| Date | 12th December 1931 guessed | |
| 15. would seem to be only two places, one is under the front bonnet, and the other is in the doors. The door position has been used in all cars subsequent to No.1, and once the actual construction of the doors and design of hinges had been evolved, has given entire satisfaction. The wheel is removed by opening a hinged panel on the outside of the door, and the passengers do not have to be disturbed in the process. The extra weight of the wheel is scarcely noticeable. The details of this arrangement can be seen in Figs............ The general appearance of the car is governed to a certain extent by the type of mudguard used, both at the front and at the rear. At the front, the close fitting type of mudguard has been used for two reasons. When the passengers are moved forward as they are in a rear engined vehicle, easy access can only be given by placing the forward front door pillar as close to the dashboard as possible. If fixed wings were fitted the front door clearance would not only prevent them being streamlined, but there would inevitably be a large flat area between the wheel and the body adding considerably to the resistance. The alternative is to give up the front door and to fit only one door about the centre of the body space, and thus allow the front mudwings to be extended in a streamline form. This limitation would be unpopular, and I can see no advantage in it from any point of view. Secondly with a close fitting front wing it is an advantage to widen the forward track to allow a considerable area for the air to flow between the wheel and the body. This widening of the front rack assists the stability | ||