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).
Correspondence page from 'The Motor' magazine discussing various motoring topics.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\4\ scan0070 | |
| Date | 25th April 1939 | |
| The Motor 492 [Handwritten] File for Rm {William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 1379 April 25, 1939. Contd. CORRESPONDENCE On Matters Sporting The British Motor Racing Fund I HOPE the following will clean up the points raised by Mr. A. {Mr Adams} J. {Mr Johnson W.M.} C. Hopkinson in his letter last week. Mr. H. {Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Cook, after giving the matter very careful consideration, arrived at the figure of £8,000. I would not be justified in assuming that he would make good a deficit, whatever its size, in the event of this sum not being forthcoming. At the same time, it is surely reasonable to assume that there is a sufficient number of potential subscribers to ensure the collection of the full amount; the many letters on this subject published by The Motor in recent months confirm this belief. In the unlikely event of the proceeds of the fund falling short of the amount necessary, the trustees have full power to allocate the sum at their disposal for the furtherance of British motor racing. D. {John DeLooze - Company Secretary} J. {Mr Johnson W.M.} SCANNELL, Hon. Sec., London, S.W.7. British Motor Racing Fund. Resting on Another's Laurels WILL the British industry, which has reaped such benefit from Mr. Humphrey Cook's efforts in backing E.R.A., now sit back on "his" laurels and talk of the marvellous cars "our" E.R.A.s were and how "we" won everything (or nearly everything) we entered for, just as they did when Bentleys fought tooth and nail for British prestige up to 1929 and for the same reason had then to withdraw from racing? Surely something will be done to carry on Mr. Cook's good work. JACK BROUGH. Lower Hutt, New Zealand. [A scheme has been launched, as already announced in The Motor, by which it is hoped to raise £8,000 per year to keep the E.R.A. team running.—ED. {J. L. Edwards} ] Will the M.C.C. Please Note? AS an interested spectator on Blue Hills Mine during the recent Land's End Trial, I should like to make two suggestions to the M.C.C. for future events:— 1. Replace the barbed wire used to fence off the road at the "stop-and-restart" test by plain wire. The possibility of serious facial injury to any unfortunate motorcycle competitors who have the bad luck to run into the barbed wire does not need emphasis. 2. Allow only genuine officials who are doing a real job of work to stand in the roadway and block the view of the many hundreds of spectators who have come long distances to see the performances on the hill. At the "stop-and-restart" test on Blue Hills we were treated to a mannequin parade by three ladies; only one of them wore an official armlet and none of them did anything at all during the course of the event except annoy the spectators. Why the large policeman who was standing a few yards below did not move on the ladies, and also some of the gentlemen who bore no official armlets, I do not know, except that he appeared to be too shy to say a word to any people other than the local small boys. D. {John DeLooze - Company Secretary} S. HEATHER. London, S.E.18. No Police to Help Them Out ON returning from a most enjoyable race meeting at Brooklands on Easter Monday, I had to pass through Farnham. Starting at the traffic lights in the middle of the town there was a queue of cars for 4½ to 5 miles solid. I saw one policeman during those 5 miles! R. {Sir Henry Royce} J. {Mr Johnson W.M.} L. ALTHAM. Winchester. A Holiday Demonstration SELDOM was the need for wider and better roads emphasized more strongly than during the past holiday week-end. On many of our arterial thoroughfares traffic was in queues many miles long, unable to proceed at speeds much in excess of 20 m.p.h. Imagine similar roads if hurried evacuation became necessary. J.K.T. Surbiton. D28 The Good Old Cars Long Life and Performance WITHOUT wishing to engage in useless controversy, I would remind "Contact" that some of the "vintage" cars to which he alludes so unkindly (The Motor, April 11), and notably the old Bentleys (whatever their demerits), had some solid virtues, such as extreme durability and the capacity to run for long periods without major attention. Some of these cars cost £1,500-£1,600 new, and who seriously suggests that a like sum will not buy a much better 1939 car? Mr. W. O. {Mr Oldham} Bentley's great 4½-litre Lagondas forbid any such stupid contention. For the rest, most 1928 cars have disappeared, and, by 1950, most of the 1939 cars will, thank goodness, have followed them. There is no occasion for self-satisfaction here, "Contact," so long as British designers insist upon giving us 1928 springing and refuse to attend to the matter of power in relation to weight, whilst we medium price-class enthusiasts have to go to Germany for a car of really advanced design! However, we are at last to have a British racing car with tubular chassis and torsion-bar suspension. If the designers have had a good look at a T.T. Frazer-Nash-B.M.W. before getting out their drawing-boards and compasses, the car will be a smashing success. But what about the sports-car events? E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} G. {Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} MANTON. Chichester. Vintage Protagonists WE note with titters of ill-concealed amusement that two of your contributors have launched a now-fashionable unprovoked attack on vintage motors. To crush first "Contact." The date when this country practically ceased to deliver palatable motoring was not 1928, but 24.00 hours on December 31, 1930. At any motoring gathering there will be lots of cars up to three years old, lots of cars pre-1931, but mighty few built in between. Even modern cars last three years. To draw swords again, over the "faults" of these motors. The four-cylinder engine has again become popular, likewise high gears, and even that dreadfully old-fashioned gearbox with direct drive in third and a geared-up top, surely an Edwardian relic, is said to be fitted to one English car to-day. The old cars made a noise because it was then a selling point. Another correspondent brings out the streamlined Bentley. Very nice, too, but what is its acceleration like? What is it like inside when four men (if it will seat four men) are smoking? And how hot does it get inside the body? Or is that "comfort"? Our Gallic neighbours still make vintage motors with modern improvements, and they appeared in our Tourist Trophy. We think they will also appear on the Sarthe Circuit early in June. Our only hopes are two very fine modern cars which, we are told, be of quite vintage appearance, dreadfully draughty and so on. W. G. {Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} S. WIKE. St. {Capt. P. R. Strong} Annes-on-Sea. Trouble-free Mileage Proportionate to Cost THE 25,000 miles' guarantee given by the Singer company (The Motor, April 18) is nothing to shout about. If one only covers 25,000 miles in two years, all well and good; but it must be remembered that there are many of us who cover this mileage in six months. If one does not use a car at all, obviously it will last for an unspecified time. It must be realized that the mileage a car will cover without a rebore depends very largely upon initial cost. Taking the 10 h.p. class, there are 11 well-known manufacturers who produce and have produced this type. Of these, the Rover has probably the highest second-hand value, as its initial cost is amongst the highest. The motor trade is like any other trade: customers get value according to the money they can pay. E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} G. {Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} A. {Mr Adams} OSBORNE. Nottingham. (Correspondence continued on page 493) | ||