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).
Continental tour testing car performance, fuel quality, and a high-compression cylinder head.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90\5\ scan0052 | |
| Date | 2nd September 1935 | |
| -3- Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}12/KW.2.9.35. On the Stelvio Pass the car behaved perfectly, the slow running being entirely satisfactory at the top, and the starting up instantaneous. The car proved itself to be entirely suitable for this type of work, all the corners being easily negotiated in one lock, and the second speed provided an ideal gear for a fast climb. In view of the considerable trouble which Mr. has experienced among the Continental owners due to vapour lock in the recent hot weather, we called in at Paris on our way back and showed the arrangement to Levallois. We recommended that they should fit a Trials car up with this scheme and confirm the results we have obtained. We fitted the high compression cylinder head to B-56-MR before taking it away, with a view to seeing how this functioned under the fuel conditions existing on the Continent. We found that the Esso petrol we obtained in France did not appear to be up to the standard of the Esso petrol at present being supplied from the pumps in England. In Germany, however, it was up to the English standard. In Austria and Hungary the only fuel of reasonable anti-knock rating had a considerable quantity of alcohol in it. The alcohol brands were very nearly as good as the English Esso. With a straight petrol the car was most unpleasant to drive. The best Italian fuels seemed quite good. The conclusion we drew from this tour was that had we been an owner we would rather have had a standard head than the high compression head. On the other hand, had fuels been distributed as they are in England, our opinion would have been reversed. We are finding out from the Ethyl Corporation how soon they anticipate that the Esso supplied to the Continent will be equal to that marketed in England. It can only be a matter of time until 80 octane fuel can be obtained universally in at any rate Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. On this fuel, the high compression head is perfectly satisfactory, as has been proved by the 15,000 miles it has run on 4-H-IV. Att: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}9/KW.2.9.35. Hn{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} ✓see x 300 a (1) | ||