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).
Performance report on a 20 HP Lanchester car, comparing it to Rolls Royce models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\1\ Scan009 | |
| Date | 12th November 1923 | |
| 20 HP. LANCHESTER CAR. GENERAL PERFORMANCE. This is a disappointing car. The makers appear to have gained nothing in the way of power by their over-head Camshaft, and lost a good deal in the way of sweet running and silence. The only three points where the car I tried equalled or excelled the 20 HP. RR. were :- (1) Braking better owing to four wheel braking. (2) Suspension very good indeed. (3) Slow running very good (4 m.p.h.) ACCELERATION. From 10 to 30 m.p.h. this was quite definitely inferior to the Goshawk 11. From 30 to 55 m.p.h. about the same. The maximum speed by the speedometer (which seemed to be fast) on the demonstration car, would be about 59 m.p.h. The makers are obviously aware of their inferiority when compared with the 20 HP. RR. at slow speeds, and talk glibly about their high axle ratio ? (4.375) causing them to get a better acceleration at higher speeds. Nevertheless, I do not believe this car to be better than a good 20 HP. in accelerating at any speeds. ENGINE. This engine behaves in a genteel manner at all times, but there is a perceptible roughness that we do not experience on our cars. This culminates in a sensible and audible period between 25 and 35 m.p.h. but this is nothing like so bad as some of our torque reaction vibrations have been. At higher speeds the engine seems to be singularly free from any sort of critical period. At no portion of the power curve is it quite as silent as a 20 HP. RR. though there is little difference when running slowly. The engine was noisy on the overrun and was at all times very susceptible to ignition setting, chirping violently if too far advanced when picking up. As a general impression one would say that though for an overhead Camshaft design noise appears to have been satisfactorily reduced, yet one would always be aware of the presence of the power unit. CARBURATION. Though this is a great deal better than some of the cars we have tried, it is possible to cause a momentary hesitation if the accelerator is fully depressed, even above 15 m.p.h. The slow running is very good. contd:- | ||