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).
Report comparing competitors' flexible shackles, cooling systems, radiator designs, and frame construction.
| Identifier | Morton\M9\ img063 | |
| Date | 31th October 1931 | |
| -3- and Studebaker are at the front end. The following employ a flexible shackle at the rear end of the road spring similar in construction to the R.R. shackle:- Packard 8 cyl. 34.5 HP. Packard 8 cyl. 39.2 HP. Marmon 16 cyl. 62.5 HP. Marmon 8 cyl. 33.8 HP. The Morris Iris employs a shackle at the rear end on similar lines to that used by Buick etc. at the front end. Cooling. There are very few cars at the show in which some form of bonnet ventilation is not used. Our cars even with three flip flap shutters per side are quite one of the least ventilated. Cars using flip flap shutters employ from four to six each side of the bonnet. Our shutters compared with others at the show strike one as being made so that they look as unobtrusive as possible, whereas others do the job more boldly, using turned over edges for shutter and bonnet with a large gap between, (.050" min) and consequently present a better appearance; some makers go to the extent of using elaborate chromium plated fittings on the shutters; on some cars the row of shutters is fitted in a panel raised from the bonnet side. Apart from our cars there were only two other makers at the show on which rivets were visible, they were Invicta and Hispano (shows only a few rivets). The general practice is to use sheet steel for bonnets, the rivetless hinge problem thus becomes less difficult than when aluminium is used. Radiators are generally made by firms special-ising in that line, the modern tendency is to use a loose shell and imitation matrix, in some cases quite separate from the true radiator. The new 12 cyl. Hispano Radiator has a loose shell, ribbon type matrix and is made by G.Moreux & Cie, Levallois Perret. It is similar in construction to that used on the smaller 30 HP. model. Frame Jellyin- The exhibits were examined to find any aplicable remedy for the front end frame distortion trouble. The only attempt detected was on the Packard, who use the widely | ||