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).
Test drive report memo on car 33-EX, detailing its performance, stability, and issues with engine and exhaust noise.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 96\3\ scan0056 | |
| Date | 27th January 1936 | |
| Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} re - 33-EX. Cxl/KW27.1.36. I drove this car 200 miles on Saturday, but a good deal of it was in the pouring rain which rather restricted one's activities with it. I believe one of the chief points we were to decide with this car was its general stability, having regard to rubber shackles, etc. I was able to do some fairly fast cornering and speeds of just over 90, and I would not personally adversely criticise this car from the point of view of stability, in fact if I had not been told that it had certain rubber parts other then body packing, I do not think I should have known any difference after making due allowance for the fact that the springing was certainly softer and lighter than 35-EX. Another point was engine silence. There is no doubt that this car is in that respect an appreciable improvement on 35-EX and 34-EX, but even with the added noise insulation on the dash the engine is still very audible between 50 and 60 m.p.h. I believe however we can consider this, having regard to all the circumstances, as acceptable so long as we never had anything worse in this respect than 33-EX as it is at present. We know we cannot expect a perfect car immediately, and shall have to accept a compromise if we are to get in production in a reasonable period. We have had considerable praise for worse examples as regards engine noise than this car. I attach one example herewith of many, so we ought not to have very much trouble on that score with customers. There is definitely a low speed growl at 20 m.p.h., which, in view of the silence at other speeds between EO and 40 is definitely noticeable under quiet conditions. It is one of those noises which we have been attributing to tyres, but I am more or less convinced that it is not tyres by reason of a simple test I made. Running at 20 miles an hour, when the period was most noticeable, by changing into 3rd gear and keeping the car speed constant the noise entirely disappears. I think this proves that it is not tyres and is probably exhaust. Sitting in the back of this car it is easily | ||