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).
Page of correspondence from 'The Motor' magazine with letters discussing car design, performance, and features.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\4\ scan0049 | |
| Date | 21th March 1939 | |
| March 21, 1939. 281 The Motor Contd. CORRESPONDENCE Friendly Car Criticism The Economical Five-seater APROPOS the correspondence concerning an economical five-seater of 14 h.p. rating (The Motor, March 14), I do not think there is any car on the market at present which has the wide rear seat of the Wolseleys, in the 12-14 h.p. class. That is why I chose the 12-48 h.p. Wolseley, and have not regretted it. Luggage space is just as good as that on other popular cars. W. M. {Mr Moon / Mr Moore} FAIRE. Putney Heath, London, S.W. Advocates the “Square” Engine I THINK that motorists should pay a tribute to Mr. John Prioleau for his courageous stand in the Observer in favour of 16-cwt. 12 h.p. cars with square engines and deep windscreens which are the essentials of a good motorcar. I am glad to say that a friend of mine recently bought a Vauxhall Ten in preference to another because the latter had the fashionable low kill-view roof line. What is the use of owning a car that will climb mountains if you can see practically nothing from it? DROPHEAD. London, W.1. [A 12 h.p. “square” engine would have a capacity of approximately one litre, which is the size of a Morris Eight, which weighs 15 1/2 cwt.; so one would obtain an 8 h.p. car with a 12 h.p. tax. Is that what the public really wants? We have frequently pointed out that the square engine is a desirable thing if the basis of taxation could be altered. We have also advocated low weight and deep windscreens.—ED. {J. L. Edwards} ] Designers—Consider the Passengers as Well as the Driver DURING the past two years motorcar manufacturers have made passenger comfort one of their prime considerations, but there still remains one aspect of this which is in need of development. I refer to the unnecessarily small side windows incorporated in some of the modern cars. Bearing in mind modern development in safety glass, there seems no logical reason why body windows and back lights should not be made larger, thereby increasing the visibility and comfort of passengers. On many cars, particularly sports saloons and convertible drop-head cabriolets, side windows are deplorably small in comparison with the general size of the cars. Happily, the new Eights and Tens do not offend in this way. The growing popularity of six-light models should serve as a clear indication to motorcar manufacturers that the motoring public values good passenger visibility. They should realize, too, that for every one driver there are, on the average, four passengers, and that the comfort and visibility of these passengers should be considered when a new model is designed. J. {Mr Johnson W.M.} A. {Mr Adams} TOWNLEY-KNIGHT. London, S.W.19. Seats Which Help Digestion MY experience in the matter of driving seats may help unfortunate drivers like “Sufferer,” of Welwyn, who complained of the troubles he experienced (The Motor, March 7). During service in the Army I drove 1920-24 types Rolls-Royce armoured cars. The seats provided for the first and second drivers consisted of a 2-in. thick horsehair cushion on the floor of the car. One's back was supported by a 6-in. wide strip of webbing, such as is obtainable from any saddlers, with a leather strap at each end. The straps were adjustable and the whole thing was slung from the dashboard. The modern dash probably would not support such a strain as this, but a bar bolted across the steering column might be sufficient, and I can assure those who complain of their driving position that such an experiment would well repay any. trouble. I found that it eliminated driving fatigue. I am not suggesting that one sits on the floor, but such a support could be used in conjunction with a normal driving seat. L. POTTER. Maidstone. Disadvantages of High Seating I NOTE with interest that many people are advocating the merits of chair-type front seats to give a restful driving position. That many seats are far too low in relation to the pedals is beyond doubt, but I think the solution here is more properly to lower the pedals than to raise the seat. After all, if one increases the height from the squab to the floor, one has to raise the roof level by a similar amount and the whole height of the car goes up, as does the centre of gravity. The result is a substantial increase in rolling tendency and the discomfort of this must surely largely offset the advantages to be obtained from high seats. The latter are excellent if one is going to drive on straight roads or if one has fairly hard springing. With softly-sprung cars, however, I think some more radical arrangement of the control gears to meet admitted anatomical needs will have to make its appearance before long. CHAIRIOTEER. Luton. 100 m.p.h. Motoring—Not So New WHEN reading your article on “100 m.p.h. Motoring” (The Motor, March 7), it occurred to me that, without wishing to belittle the performance of the 4 1/4-litre Bentley or the Lagonda, the “cars of to-morrow” lag a good way behind the “cars of yesterday.” On Monthléry track, admitted, I believe, to be a faster course than Brooklands, the Bentley, with the aid of a high axle ratio, a raised compression, a very special streamline body, and backed by all the resources of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley concern, managed 107 miles in the hour—this does not compare very favourably with Mr. Eigood's privately owned and tuned 1928 4 1/4-litre Bentley sports two-seater which, although handicapped by the presence of a large number of other cars on the track, achieved 110 m.p.h. in the hour in the M.C.C. High-speed Trial at Brooklands last year! He also, admittedly, had a high axle ratio and raised compression, but his car is in no way streamlined and is in regular everyday use on the road. A considerable amount of publicity has recently been given to the number of touring cars built in this country capable of speeds in excess of 100 m.p.h.—it would be as well to remember such “antique oddities” as the 30-98 Vauxhall, the Leyland-Thomas, and, of more recent vintage, the 8-litre Bentley, which were all turned out with a guaranteed speed in touring trim of over 100 m.p.h., before congratulating our modern manufacturers on “a remarkable technical achievement.” VINTAGENT. Basingstoke. An Unorthodox Sign I AM enclosing a photograph (reproduced herewith) of a “compulsory stop” sign at Bournemouth. Could anyone explain its purpose? C.H.T.305. Bristol, 5. [It seems like a variation of the “Halt” sign, certainly unorthodox, possibly irregular.—ED. {J. L. Edwards} ] [Text from sign in photograph] M.O.T. COMPULSORY STOP BUS STOP By order of the M.O.T. C25 | ||