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).
Paper on the revolution in automobile design, focusing on aerodynamics and lighter engines inspired by new roads and aviation.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\1\ Scan035 | |
Date | 12th December 1931 guessed | |
AUTOMOBILE DESIGN REVOLUTIONISED REASONS, METHODS AND RESULTS. .................. I feel a considerable diffidence in addressing such an expert and authorative body of automobile engineers as are here today, and must at once express my great appreciation at the honour which has been accorded to me by the Society of Automobile Engineers of America in inviting me to give this address. The main thesis of my address is to draw attention to, and invite discussion upon, two far reaching developments which are taking place outside the actual motor car itself, but which demand a revolution in its design. I refer firstly to the new roads which are being constructed in nearly every country in the World, allowing cruising speeds of 50/60 m.p.h. or even more to be indulged in with safety, and; secondly, to the stimulation which aviation has given to internal combustion engine design resulting in great weight reduction for a given power. The first development demands a redesign of the body of the car to enable aerodynamic considerations to be satisfied. At 60 m.p.h. the standard saloon car of today consumes no less than 75% of the power given off by the engine at that speed, in overcoming air resistance. Laboratory and full scale experiments have both shown that by suitably shaping the body approximately half this air resistance can be eliminated. Secondly, lighter engines, for a given power enable an engine position in the chassis to be selected which not only enables these aerodynamic conditions to be met, but gives greater passenger comfort, greater braking capacity, better driving wheel adhesion and a lower centre of gravity, all additional requirements of the increased touring speeds now with us and which are likely to increase. I venture to think, that just as 25 years ago the general state and condition of the World's roads, and the [Handwritten notes in left margin] ? a authoritative of the B read the Paper O A-- The Second development | ||