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).
Car performance issues including high-speed steering, radiator design, and air silencer tests.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 3\4\ 04-page319 | |
| Date | 15th June 1933 | |
| Iis. -2- C15/C15.6.33 I afterwards saw Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} upon this and explained the discussion we had had and the difficulties of attaining the high speeds we were looking forward to, and he agreed that the foregoing procedure appears to be the right one. Presumably we shall eventually have to decide whether we will have the lower gear as No.2, or the higher gear as No.1, and a definite conclusion upon this can no doubt be arrived at after testing No.2. again. I understand that you will also put on No.2. the new type radiator, a cut-out, and various details that I will set out below. (2) Wander of the steering at high speeds over 70 m.p.h. There was a certain difference of opinion upon this, but Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} PN{Mr Northey} and Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} appeared to be very definite that this does exist. So far as I understand it, what they really refer to is too much steering wheel movement and therefore lack of positive steering when it is necessary in passing another vehicle at speeds. The criticism is not of any wobble or actual road wheel movement, the car being perfectly steady when there is no necessity to steer it to a close degree. (3) Appearance in the front. This we all thought was lacking in distinction, rather too closely resembling some of the other sports cars on the Market today. We understand that really these sports cars have rather stolen the Bentley design with alterations. You are, however, making another radiator with more depth to the 'V' and bigger depth to the top part of the radiator, and this we shall see on No.2. car at the end of next week. As you know, in Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}'s memos, he very definitely criticised the silence. I explained to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} that the removal of the air silencer, after three stop watch tests on Brooklands, made not a fraction of a second difference in the speed of the car. So, therefore, by taking off the air silencer we do not gain anything at all in power, and this question, therefore, becomes purely one of policy, as to whether the adding of the air silencer has made the car so beautifully silent as to increase still further the risk of its competing seriously with the 20/25 h.p. R-R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||