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).
The merits of rear-engined car design versus front-wheel drive, focusing on weight distribution and performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\1\ Scan046 | |
| Date | 12th December 1931 guessed | |
| 12. from orthodox design. The condition governing the position of the centre of gravity can only be met by transferring the position of the largest individual weight, that of the engine to behind the rear axle. If the case of the front wheel drive car is examined on this same basis it is at once seen that the front wheel drive car is as fundamentally wrong for braking and hill climbing as it is for obtaining a high longitudinal moment of inertia. In view of its adoption by several manufacturers, it would seem that the lower centre of gravity obtainable by eliminating the propeller shaft reduces the effect of the adverse turning moment when braking, and has somewhat obscured this basic defect. When hill climbing however, especially upon frozen roads the lack of road adhesion of the driving wheels is likely to be pronounced, as in this case, whilst the low centre of gravity will limit the virtual weight transfer-ence from the driving wheels, it cannot prevent that transfer-ence taking place in the reverse direction to that desired. In the rear engined car as low a centre of gravity can be obtained as in a front drive car, but, without suffering any of the disadvantages just mentioned. I venture to prophecy that the front wheel drive car is doomed not only because it is fundamentally unsound in overall weight distribution, but that it does not lend itself to efficient streamlining. We therefor, arrive at the somewhat remarkable and satisfactory conclusion, that not only is the best weight distribution for braking and acceleration the same we wish to adopt in order to obtain the high longitudinal moment of inertia, but that the engine position behind the back axle whilst automatically giving these results, at the same time enables the body to be properly streamlined and gives 100% engine accessibility. | ||