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).
Development of a 12-cylinder car and the decision to build their own engine.
| Identifier | Morton\M19\ img132 | |
| Date | 4th March 1931 | |
| ORIGINAL To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/MJ.4.3.31. X.3531. X.4024. 12 CYLINDER CAR. It will be seen from Rn{Mr Robinson}'s. report that except for the gearbox the Maybach car possesses no features which would interest us. This report was not intended to convey the impression that a 12 cyl. engine was not worth making. The point is, that a 12 cyl. engine will not immediately relieve us from our troubles. It is accepted, for instance that all the 12 cyl. cars we have tried - Maybach, Cadillac, and Cadillac 16 cyl. - have been bad for booms and fuss at high speeds. They have, however, been entirely free from torque reaction vibration. We believe that there is only one way for us - to decide whether a 12 cylinder engine would be suitable to us, and that is to make one. It would be much better for us to spend our money in making a 12 cylinder unit rather than to purchase a car which would only give us negative results. In the meantime we have got to push on with schemes to overcome the faults on the present car. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} * The understatement of the decade ? | ||