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).
Multiple issues with the 20 HP car and recommending more work before production.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 14\6\ Scan040 | |
| Date | 2nd January 1929 | |
| TO R.{Sir Henry Royce} TO Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} } FROM HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X7230 hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG2.1.29. 20 HP. CAR. X7770 X7941 X7010 Although we have sent the 20 HP. car to France we are not very pleased with it. We thought however we would attempt to carry out the 7500 miles as arranged before Jan. 10th. especially as we had our hands full with the SS.{S. Smith} car. The troubles with the 20 HP. are :- (1) vibration on the front of the frame which, if anything, is worse than the SS.{S. Smith} and which we have not been able to overcome as we have no means of making the front of the engine solid. (2) Also the compression ratio at 5.5 is too high for ordinary petrol. The engine detonates worse than the present standard 20 HP. (3) We are also having trouble, unless we use special aero plugs, with pre-ignition. (4) We are not satisfied with the carburation - the petrol consumption in France is poor. We therefore strongly recommend that we give up the idea of rushing through the modifications at the same time as the SS.{S. Smith} The advantages we gain are nothing like as marked as the change from the Phantom to the SS.{S. Smith} and we certainly think more work is required on the 20 HP. before we asked the Works to go into production. We have discussed this matter with WOR{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}, E, DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} and BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} and in view of the position we have outlined, they are in agreement contd :- | ||