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).
Page from 'Motor Sport' magazine featuring articles on historical cars and motoring events.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\1\ Scan078 | |
| Date | 1st December 1991 | |
| VETERAN TO CLASSIC axle. Although no shock-absorbers were fitted and Burney said no work had yet been done on the springing, the ride was "very good", with no pitching or rolling. The overall length, at 19 ft, was a little longer than that of a Phantom II with two spare wheels at the back, but the Burney's turning-circle was practically that of a 25hp Rolls-Royce. The R-R engineers drove to Maidenhead from London and back, visiting the works, and saw six cars being built or developed. Cooling problems were being met by a frontal as well as the rear-mounted radiators, which helped the interior heating, but mud on the windscreen was a problem and a more conventional nose was available. So impressed were the hard-headed R-R technicians that Burney was invited to call again at Derby when visiting Lord Vernon. This enabled Hives to confirm that, even with the twin-cam, irritating noises (costly to cure) simply did not exist and that the ride was "very good indeed". He gave the hp at the driven wheels as 43, about that of the old 25hp Rolls-Royce, and in spite of the Burney body "being much larger than anything we have put on a 25hp, speed is very good indeed". He continued; "Anyone riding in the car would consider it more silent than a Rolls and, with development, rear passengers will have comfort approaching that of a train. It is irritating to have to think of an entirely new car, but as it has several sound fundamental advantages I should not like to take the responsibility of turning it down". In January 1932 A G Elliott had lunch with Sir D at Chichester and tried the car Bumley was taking to America, with a 4.4-litre straight-eight Lycoming engine as used by Auburn. Evernden went also, to assess the bodywork. They were impressed (apart from wind-noise and discomfort in the front seats, due to the short nose), but "these would no doubt be tolerated on a chauffeur-driven car", especially a car built without the resources of Rolls-Royce. But there was to be no rear-engined Rolls-Royce! Maybe Sir D had been pushing his luck a trifle too far. He had confided to Rolls-Royce that he had the rights to rear-engined cars with the power units behind the drive-shafts and that Standard and Riley had taken out licences and that he had practically completed negotiations to take over the Lagonda Company, whose supercharged 2-litre engine was giving 110 bhp at 5000 rpm on the test-bench, well-suited to the rear-engined Burney. Sir D had been told Hives would try to get Royce to look at his car down at West WitteringHenry Royce's home town. However, the friendly attitude cooled a bit when Sir D endeavoured to get R-R to make parts for him, after having been told they were not interested in his Company or experimental cars. Further visits to Derby were to be discouraged! So the inventor went it alone, making a dozen Burney Streamlines in all, the later ones called "Pullmans". In 1930 LC Rawlence & Co, the OM agents, had one in their Sackville St showrooms in London's West End. America showed little desire for the Lycoming-powered car, and when the supply of Beverley-Barnes engines ceased, report was made to 20hp push-rod-ohv Armstrong Siddeley engines for the last two. In 1934 Crossley's of Manchester took up the patents. The outcome was the somewhat better-looking Crossley-Burney, powered by a 2-litre Crossley engine and with a Wilson pre-selector gearbox. Unfortunately they decided to put a Crossley radiator on the car's nose, dispensing with the rear-located ones, and were rewarded with over-heating problems. The recession of those early 1930s, following the Wall Street crash, like today's financial set-back, was not a good climate in which to promote such a novel motor car. The ambitions of Sir Dennis were still-born, even though he bought a Crossley-Burney, installed a Vauxhall Twelve engine, and started to experiment again, around 1938. The War effectively stopped that. WB{Mr Brazier/Mr Bell} Sir Dennistoun Burney, Bt.{Capt. J. S. Burt - Engineer} Commander Sir Charles Dennistoun Burney was born in 1888, the only son of Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Cecil Burney, the first baronet. Retiring from the Royal Navy in 1919 he joined Vickers Ltd as a consultant and was a Conservative MP for Uxbridge from 1922 to 1929. He succeeded to the baronetcy in the latter year. He proposed an England-India airship service, which the Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, caused to be investigated. Commander Burney's brother was a motoring enthusiast who had veteran-car premises at Brooklands, which he disposed of to RGJ Nash. WB{Mr Brazier/Mr Bell} 100 mpg This fuel consumption figure is seemingly unattainable by most cars and drivers. But the news that Daihatsu has got itself into the "Guinness Book of Records" by surpassing this 100 mpg barrier reminds us of a stunt organised by Morris Motors back in 1931, when a super-charged single-seater side-valve Morris Minor was specially prepared with the intention of achieving both 100 mph and 100 mpg. Driven by von de Becke (who is remembered for his Becke Special using a supercharged aged Wolseley Moth engine in a GN chassis) the racing Morris Minor was timed over the flying-start kilometre at 101.96 mph and over the fs{F. Steele} mile at 100.30 mph at Brooklands in October 1931, being given BARC Certificates Nos 2469 and 2470 to confirm it. The supercharger was then removed and the car was driven round a lenient circuit of public roads in the Midlands, and by judicious coasting and low speeds, a consumption of 107.4 miles on one gallon of petrol was accomplished. It was thus possible to celebrate the advent of the lowest-priced of side-valve Morris Minors with the slogan; "100 mph, 100 mpg, £100". This was a pure advertising stunt but what Daihatsu have done with a standard 993 cc three-cylinder 1.0 Turbo Diesel five-door £7999 Charade is quite different. With three people and luggage on board it was driven 3621 miles round the whole of the British coastline, using 35.155 gallons of diesel fuel (cost £73.77), equal to 103.01 mpg. The lowest figure was 94 mpg, the best 109 mpg. This represents a range of better than 838 miles, with the Charade's normal 8.14-gallon tank. The drivers were John Taylor, Helen Horwood and Joanne Swift, and the overall average speed was 21.36 mph, inclusive of rest stops. This is a remarkable feat, improving on the previous best by some 10 mpg. Subject to official confirmation it will get into the "Guinness Book". We are sure the records recorded therein are carefully checked, although they are not necessarily recognised in official circles — thus to our knowledge, there is no RAC or FISA Fuel Economy Record. WB{Mr Brazier/Mr Bell} Gopsall again Last month I referred to a brief visit I made to Gopsall Park, a one-time speed-trial venue. It was here, for instance, that the CUAC ran its 1933 event, at which Oliver Bertram in the 10½-litre Delage (well-known today to VSCC members) made FTD, in 26.8 sec for the slightly uphill half-mile course, Whitney Straight making best sports-car time (30.6 sec) in an 8-litre Bentley, after which he sat in the car reading The Times. And where, incidentally, the Chief Constable got his car well and truly bogged-down on the grass at the end of the course, heavy rain having fallen beforehand. The reason I return to the subject of Gopsall Park, the 1100-acre estate formerly surrounding the mansion owned by the Howe family, and later the property of Lord Waring, is because I was reminded by the young man now living at the Lodge and who is researching the history of the place, that at one time it was proposed that a race-track should be made there. This idea surfaced in 1932/33, the scheme being to construct a road-course of some six miles to a lap, with several shorter circuits incorporated therein, and with plenty of interesting bends and corners, with the mansion as the club-house. It seems that Hugh P McConnell, the Brooklands' Scrutineer, was interested and the Advisory Committee which planned the layout of the proposed course consisted of Earl Howe, Sir Henry Birkin, Bt{Capt. J. S. Burt - Engineer}, Sir Malcolm Campbell, the Hon Brian Lewis, Chris Staniland and SCH Davis. Unfortunately the necessary finance was not forthcoming and no more was heard of this track or those proposed for Tring, Brighton, and other venues. Meanwhile, early in 1933 the then 2-mile 327-yard Donington Park circuit was successfully opened, er Hall's MG winning the very first race there. WB{Mr Brazier/Mr Bell} ● Having written about the ex-Henry Laird racing Morgan "Yellow" in the October MOTOR SPORT, we learn that its one-time companion, "Red", has recently returned here, from California. MOTOR SPORT, DECEMBER 1991 1155 | ||