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 'The Motor' magazine featuring a Lagonda V12 with a Lancefield streamlined body and an article on fluid drive systems in American cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\1\ img100 | |
| Date | 25th September 1940 | |
| The Motor 158 September 25, 1940. In News -Contd. LATEST IN SPORTS CARS. A 12-cylinder Lagonda short-chassis fitted with a Lancefield streamline body, which was intended as an exhibit at last year's Motor Show. The car was recently sold to a private purchaser and these pictures show that the streamline form has not impaired any practical characteristics. Recessed finge-tip door latches. There is ample window area and good head and leg room for passengers, as well as considerable luggage accommodation in the tail. More Fluid Drive in America ONE of the features of certain Chrysler models last year was the introduction of a fluid drive, a form of transmission which, whilst well known over here, having been embodied in Daimler and Lanchester cars for a long time, was comparatively new to America. When Chryslers introduced their model it was one of the high spots of the 1940 Show. Now its use is being extended and for 1941 certain of the Dodge cars will also incorporate this form of transmission. The Nash organization in America has spent seven million dollars on the production of their new low-priced six-cylinder car. Millions more will be expended in introducing the car to the American public. The 1940 production of Cadillac-La{L. A. Archer} Salle cars totalled 37,811; it was the third best in the history of the company, being topped only by the 1937 and 1928 volumes. Production schedules for the new 1941 Hudson models in America demand the shipment of 11,500 cars, compared with 3,600 in August of 1939. One of the features of the 1941 Hudson is the new silent-mesh transmission of the latest blocker type. Operating controls are located on the side of the case, permitting a more direct and simplified linkage between the transmission unit and the gear lever mounted beneath the steering wheel. Another feature is the newly developed Lucite lens used in the instrument panel. This Lucite has edge lighting properties enabling it to carry light throughout its entire length no matter whether curved or not; in other words, it pipes light around corners. The 1941 Willys car will have a redesigned four-cylinder engine giving an increase in h.p. without sacrifice of fuel economy. Silencing and sound-proofing the new car have received much attention; the frame is stiffened although lightened slightly in weight. Oldsmobile will retain coil rings for the rear as well as for the front suspension. They have proved the most trouble-free type of spring suspension that Oldsmobile has ever employed. Their use has particularly simplified the problem of chassis lubrication as well, for whereas two years ago Oldsmobile had 39 points of chassis lubrication the 1940 model has only 21. | ||