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).
Straight-8 engine, comparing bonnet and engine space with an Essex Terraplane, and mentioning independent front suspension.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 21\6\ Scan132 | |
| Date | 6th February 1934 | |
| HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} GURY x4217 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Copy to Wer.Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} re Essex Terraplane etc. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}2/E6.2.34 Referring to E.8/HP.1.2.34 I shall be seeing you to-morrow but I thought it as well if I let you have my views in advance as in any case I like to get them on record. I am very glad to see that, as the result of your trial of the Terraplane last October, you revised your views in regard to the Straight-8 type of engine. I am very glad to note from paragraph 6 of your Page 1 that you feel no doubt that the straight-8 would be a very satisfactory engine for a replacement engine for the 20/25. You mention the only objection is the increased length it demands under the bonnet. I have made enquiries and I am told that the Terraplane bonnet length is 3'2 and the RR bonnet length 3'6. I appreciate that this does not count for much as one can cut a bonnet to almost any length without reference to the actual engine length so I asked for the engine space and I have been given: Essex Terraplane - engine space 2'10. RR. engine space............. 3'. You might please look into this as you have the Terraplane there and measure up the space occupied by or allowed for the engine as compared with the same on the Terraplane. You then go on to say that even this disadvantage disappears if we adopt independent front wheel suspension. It seems pretty clear that, unless you can do considerably better than I anticipate in producing and proving out an 8-cylinder engine, we cannot hope to have such a car in production until 1936 and by that date I cannot believe that we should contemplate putting a new car into production without independent front wheel suspension. On the telephone the other day, when speaking to | ||