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).
From Mr. Royce to C.J. regarding the testing and performance of experimental production cars, including model 1.EX.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 45\1\ Scan102 | |
| Date | 26th September 1920 | |
| [Handwritten] X4050 COPY OF MEMORANDUM FROM MR. ROYCE. To C.J. from R.{Sir Henry Royce} My dear C.J., X.2565. RE PRODUCTION CARS. X.20. X.3056. X.3763. X.2628. X.4050. X.3461. I have just completed my autumn run of say 2,000 miles, mostly on 1.EX, a car similar to what I recommended for a production model. Some of the time I have also treated 6.EX an actual production car and the Hawk Northcliffe. The latter half I have used the American cord tyres, straight sided type, which makes such a considerable difference in the behaviour of the car. My opinion is that 1.EX is the best [handwritten] all [/handwritten] round car we ever made, being faster than earlier cars, easily going over 60 whenever the road permits, even with full equipment, against a fair wind, and occasionally reaching 70. It is excellent for traffic with a weight of 2.2 tons, being very silent and smooth with as much acceleration as is good for the tyres. It covered with my careful and considerate driving on one occasion, 20 miles in 30 minutes, and 70 miles in 2 hours with a stop to buy fruit. The petrol consumption on two runs of 180 miles, including the high speed mentioned, and passing through London, 19 M.P.G. one case benzol, the other Shell Petrol. Hives also made a test and obtained 20 M.P.G. on a special run. This car has improved in many ways since first tested by me, principally pistons, and springing. The latter is especially interesting in face of the series complaints from America. My impression is that unless the roads are in good condition motoring cannot be a pleasure, and although 1.EX has thick leaf split springs, it is quite satisfactory and quite as good as we can make anything. [handwritten insertion] It is fitted with shock dampers [/handwritten insertion] which originally had a certain amount of free movement. This latter has been cancelled with certain advantages with cord tyres shewing that springs with more friction would be preferable. In my journeys I found roads of all types in all conditions, but the most unpleasant are those with potholes. The generally bad one on the C.N. road was in Huntingdonshire, no car improvements could take the place of making the road better. The heavy motor traffic has, during the last three years, ruined all the roads which have not been definitely improved to meet the increased wear, a pothole being a defect which [underlined] very rapidly develops [/underlined], especially in wet weather. Contd. | ||