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 from the U.S.A. on the road performance and engine smoothness of various American cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 178\2\ img192 | |
| Date | 19th February 1934 | |
| COPY OF REPORT RECEIVED FROM Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} IN U.S.A. (UNDATED). To - [REDACTED] From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] c. to EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/KW.19.2.34. ROAD PERFORMANCE AMERICAN CARS. I received your cable and you will have had my reply. I purposely avoided mentioning 12 cyls. as I have not yet tried all that are available and so have not a truly representative impression. I have so far tried - 1934 Packard 12 1934 Pontiac 8 1934 Cadillac V.8 2. 1934 Lincoln 12's. 1934 Buick 8 1934 Plymouth 6 1933 Buick 8 I shall, if importunity prevails, get a run on an airflow Chrysler next week. No one at Cadillacs has been able to try one yet, as the first production one was only completed yesterday. Also, I shall drive Cadillac 12's and 16's. COMPARISON OF VEE AND LINE EIGHTS. SMOOTHNESS. I was fortunately able to drive a Cadillac Vee8 120 miles yesterday and did about 90 on a Buick earlier in the week. Judging by these two cars the line 8 has it every time. It is smoother and more silent, particularly at the higher speeds. The V.{VIENNA} eight had some nasty crankshaft periods that could clearly be detected. The Pontiac had the Buick characteristics. Of course these 8's are the most massive cast-iron structures (the 360 cu.in. Buick engine I believe weighs about 900 lbs.) I am trying to get a run on a Packard 8 which has an aluminium crankcase. Really the Terraplane that Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} tried or any 8 Buick that you can borrow from Oscroft are good average examples of what is being done in smoothness with this type of unit. | ||