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).
Passenger comfort, noise levels, and speed performance of a vehicle.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\2\ img122 | |
| Date | 12th December 1931 | |
| -2- (1) Suspension and comfort for passengers generally. Owing to the engine being behind the back axle and all the transmission aft of the rear passengers, the amount of head room was astonishing. Though actually the top of the car was as low as one of our 40/50s, when sitting in it, it produced a Crystal Palace feeling. The comfort, considering the very crude efforts of suspension, was remarkably good. The very large longitudinal moment of inertia almost eliminated pitching as we know it. (2) Absence of Noise. In spite of the crudity of the power unit as previously mentioned, in the front seats one could drive right on to the valve bouncing speed without being aware that there was an engine in the car at all. In the back seats the noise was comparable to the front on one of our 40/50 cars. One reason why it was not worse was because there was considerable space (3 ft. wide) between the rear passengers and the power unit under which the gear box and flywheel drive were located and above which luggage could be stowed. The other reason is that the air flow carries all noise away and from Sir Deniston Burney's tests this is the major factor. (3) Speed. This is at present a secondary consideration on English roads as we have few 80 m.p.h. stretches available. However, Sir Deniston Burney alleges that the car we tried lapped Brooklands at 80 M.P.H. at 3800 engine R.P.M. We put it on the road wheel dynamometer and found that it gave 43.4 BHP at this speed. Our outsize limousine 25 HP. car which does not give as much body space as the Burney, lapped Brooklands at 68 M.P.H. with a road wheel H.P. of 62. We give you the Burney speed figures for what they are worth as we have had no opportunity of checking them. | ||