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).
Critical opinion on a car's irritating springing, engine growl, performance, and cramped engine design.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan016 | |
| Date | 25th August 1919 | |
| H R S (15) (B) H. {Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 909, 25-8-19. C. 2444 2. expect, the acceleration is extremely noticeable. I understand the axle is geared as low as 4:1. My opinion of the car is as follows:- Springing - most irritating. One gets the impression of being on a perambulator, see-sawing back and forth at a rate of 55 miles an hour on roads which with the Rolls-Royce car appear to be quite good. On all engine speeds, with the throttle fully open, there was a sound of rumbling and growling in the neighbourhood of the engine, which, to my mind, is so bad that were we to fit a similar engine on our chassis, our business would be ruined inside a week. The car quickly got up to the speed of 60 miles an hour, but my impression is that the horse power curve very soon flattens out, because although we once touched on 70, it was undoubtedly a great effort. The general design of the engine is of a very cramped description, and a broken valve spring would mean a very serious proposition for renewal. I do not know to what extent the engine growling which I referred to may be incidental to the employment of 12 cylinders, with the many more moving parts, but if this does happen to be the case, I cannot imagine anything more detrimental were these to be employed in our own case. P.N P.N. | ||