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).
Proposals to streamline a sports car body for improved performance and reduced wind resistance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 70\1\ scan0157 | |
| Date | 14th June 1926 | |
| TO HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} FROM DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}/1/14.6.26. Handwritten: X8774, X.1505., X8770, 78830 Copy to - B.J. re. SPORTS BODY. With reference to the sports body now on 16-EX, we have again discussed with R.{Sir Henry Royce} the subject of bringing this car properly into line with the class to which it belongs. We have already sent you our proposals on N.Sch.2083. These were based on the results of your tests on Brooklands which shewed that the car as at present equipped, as far as coachwork is concerned, is little better than a standard open car. We have therefore done our best to streamline not only the body, but all the features on the car. The present wings account for 6 MPH. at maximum speed, the wings we suggest have little or no head resistance. We have already sent you a design for carrying the spare wheel at rear of the car. You will notice that we use no running boards, and that the headlamps are close together opposite to the face of the radiator, whilst the wing lamps themselves are buried in the wings. We have shewn a 2 piece sporting screen, which R.{Sir Henry Royce} however thinks is too ineffective to be tolerated, and that we should use a single piece triplex glass screen hinged at the base and having an automatic screen wiper at the base of the screen. We will however go into the details of this design with the coachbuilders. R.{Sir Henry Royce} would like to know the earliest possible date that you can conveniently let us have this car. We require to perfect it solely for technical reasons concerning the value of HP. and wind resistance. DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} | ||