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).
Engine performance, future design considerations including a 12-cylinder engine, and proposals for future car models.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\V\October1930-February1931\ Scan026 | |
| Date | 20th October 1930 guessed | |
| (2) ORIGINAL. It must be realised that we have recently considerably increased the energy, vigour, and number of revs. of both our car engines which have brought about at high speeds conditions which do not however exist in moderate speed town carriage work. It is about these that we hear so much, namely, the enthusiastic owner driver who is a speed merchant. In conclusion, we hear that the Daimler 6 cylinder car even when fitted with their fluid flywheel has a particularly coarse and rough engine. We believe this has been increased by their efforts to get increased performance. THE FUTURE. We cannot hope to get much better results on our large car until we adopt the 12 cyl. engine. We hope this will be the means of getting the engine shorter and lighter, and therefore removing some of the weight from the front and allowing the passengers to be moved forward in the car. I do not see any other practical way of getting an improvement in the suspension. With such a move I hope we shall be able to have sufficient room at the rear to carry all the fuel, spares, tools, luggage, accumulators, and everything that can possibly be transferred behind the back axle. Nothing must be beside or under the bonnet and we hope that the radiator can be moved more forward relative to the front axle, but above all, we must transfer as much weight as is practical to the back. I do not think it is possible to transfer the engine to the back in the immediate future, but I do think it will have to be reduced in size and weight. With such a car, for the last word in luxury and refinement, and with the policy which we are proposing for our 25HP., we ought to have a progressive and safe policy ahead. These two cars are proposed for the next year's Show programme, and if the directors are agreed the policy and the stocks should be run down proportionately with this object in view. Evidence in USA., England, Germany, and France, indicates that makers of the largest cars are not satisfied with even 8 cyls., and if we were to swallow their defects of length of engine and crankshaft, and extra weight of engine, they would be very little better than the 6 cylinder. | ||