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).
Magazine article from 'Motor Sport' detailing the history of the Burney Streamline car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\1\ Scan077 | |
| Date | 1st December 1991 | |
| VETERAN TO CLASSIC very short prop-shaft and a differential to the road-wheel drive-shafts. Not only was the overall specification quite startling to those accustomed to normal front-engined cars but the Burney had other distinguishing features. Thus the two batteries and electric horn were accommodated in two pressed-steel cabinets in the nose, with the 14-gallon fuel tank just above and behind them. There was a space between engine and back seat for considerable quantities of luggage, access to it gained through side doors or by opening a roof-hatch. The very short nose enclosed the headlamps which shone through tunnels with glass fronts and drag was further reduced by using close-fitting cycle-type mudguards, these at the front turning with the wheels. The spare wheels were fitted to the insides of the doors. (This latter feature caused the Burney designer some worry, because at first suitable hinges to carry the combined 120lb weight of door, window, wheel, tyre and the mounting for the latter, could not be found. Also it was suggested that should the car overturn getting out would be impeded, to which Sir Dennis pointed to the large window area and that the front doors were quite light). The wire wheels were 'shod' with 30 x 6.5 tyres, and normal Lockheed hydraulic brakes were used. For the finalised form of his sensational motor-car Sir Dennistoun used a straight-eight twin-cam 66 x 106mm (2966cc) Beverley-Barnes engine with Marelli coil-ignition; had one of their engineers had a look at an Alfa Romeo? Beverley-Barnes of Beverley Works, Willow Avenue, Barnes, SW had been building cars since 1924 (another "Forgotten Make") beside supplying parts for other manufacturers including Bentley Motors, and were happy to sell these engines for £50 each at a time of sparse business. By no stretch of imagination could the Burney be regarded as a handsome car. Its proclaimed merits were stability, comfort, a spacious interior (it seated seven), quiet running (any cacophony was behind it…) and a good ride. The usual rear-engine problem of interior warming was solved by having an exhaust-gas heater in the front compartment, piped from one in the back. There was never any intention to go into serious production. Sir Dennis hadn't the facilities. In fact, after leaving Mowden he moved to the Cordwallis Works in Maidenhead, "The Jam Factory", where he shared a large partitioned-off shed with the run-down GWK friction-drive car firm and the makers of the slide-valve Imperia. There was just room for development work. Nevertheless, he formed Streamline Cars, Limited (Telegrams: Streamline, Maidenhead) to advance his product, the Directors being himself, The Rt Hon Lord Vernon, Major JS{Mr Johnson's Secretary} Courtauld, MC, MP, Lt Col J Benskin, DSO, OBE, SL Courtauld and Sir MP Latham, Bt{Capt. J. S. Burt - Engineer}, MP. There was also an office in London. With the 2.9-litre 80hp engine a cruising speed of 70mph was claimed and if a buyer did materialise the asking price was a rather high £1500, or nearly as much as an eight-cylinder Lincoln or Renault and £25 more than the price of a Packard Eight. When the Press tried the Burney it was found to be quiet, to pick up most impressively, to have light controls and steering, to ride very comfortably and handle well. At a speedometer 76mph (what an accurate observation) clutch slip intervened, otherwise the 80mph claims seemed valid. Absence of running boards, wide doors, and the low build made entry and exit easy and it was said that a man wearing a top hat could walk into this Burney without removing it. Also that "No debutante would ever crush her ostrich feathers"... Sir Dennis said that a chassis would only do 63mph, so that the aerodynamics were worth an extra 17mph, but in fact chassis and body were supposed to be integral. George Lanchester greeted the revolutionary car with jealous praise, saying its suspension was like that used by Dr FW Lanchester before the turn of the century and that the spring-ends sliding in bronze trunnions had been used on Lanchesters since 1912. One person who acquired a Burney Streamline (perhaps it was a present?) was HRH The Prince of Wales, and this odd if ingenious car could hardly have had better publicity – especially as in spite of the excellent forward visibility he knocked down a girl cyclist with it and insisted on going to see her (an attractive girl probably) as she recovered. Late in 1931 Sir Dennis sailed for America in the Berengaria and gave a lecture to the IAE about his car in Detroit. Before he left he had asked Hives (later Lord Hives) of Rolls-Royce to read through the paper and offer suggestions. Not only were Rolls-Royce interested but they tried a Burney and asked Sir Dennis to bring one to Derby, after Christmas. He was also recommended to approach W Parsons who had been an R-R engineer since about 1911 and who was then with Hotchkiss. ("Who are doing remarkably well I believe") and on Rowbottom's advice was anxious to put the project up to Mr Ainsworth, (the Englishman who managed the Hotchkiss Company). Indeed, with generous help from the archives of the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation which are kept by the Rolls-Royce EC at The Hunt House, Paulerspury, Northants, it is possible to see how helpful Rolls-Royce were at first to the Burney project, at a time when they were engaged in adapting centralised chassis lubrication to both models, slightly lengthening the wheelbase of the 25/30hp chassis and offering, as an extra, untarnishable metal finishes on both cars. The R-R company discussed his paper, which it was thought Royce might like to read (if sent to him at Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence), suggested that their Mr Robottom who was sailing to the New York Motor Show in the Baltic might meet Sir Dennis in Detroit, and said that he "should see General Motors, where R-R had "some very good friends who are sure to be intensely interested, because they have been struggling against fundamental difficulties". After digesting the paper R-R observed that Sir D should ascertain the deflection of the Burney's back springs, as if a 4½ in deflection gave a good ride an irs would be a much easier proposition than on a conventional car requiring some 8 or 9 in deflection to get rid of pitching. They did not follow the desire to get equal weight distribution between front and back wheels when braking, trotting out the old R-R preference for 40/60% braking, and they wondered if "Golden Arrow" type streamlining would be beneficial. To which Sir D said that when his car was fully loaded the c-of-g was somewhat behind the total weight, so he needed a 35/65 braking action, and as for the "Golden Arrow", he retorted that the stability of the Burney was fine up to about 88mph, but if he could cruise at 120mph a tail fin might be needed! The R-R engineers tried two Burney cars. They were very impressed. The Beverley-Barnes one was taken to 4000rpm in the gears and only when the owner said it was being very much over-revved did the driver realise this, as ordinary engine-noise such as piston tap and valve clatter had simply disappeared. More noise could be heard in the back than in a Rolls-Royce, Sir Dennistoun's brainchild stopping the traffic in Piccadilly. Note spare wheel panel in rear door. 1154 MOTOR SPORT, DECEMBER 1991 | ||