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).
Letter from Rolls-Royce of America detailing impressions of the Phantom engine after 3000 miles of testing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 72\2\ scan0051 | |
| Date | 15th October 1925 | |
| ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. To Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} noted thanks. EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} 27/10/25 X8991 Oy6-E-101525 October 15, 1925. Mr. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives, Mickleover, Near Derby, England. (Personal) Dear Hives: Re/ Phantom Engine I have been promising myself for some time to write you about our impressions of the Phantom engine, which we have now run 3000 miles. Of course we are delighted with it because of its lack of mechanical noise and the fact that the tappets stay quiet without eternal fussing. My impression is that this and the 20 HP are the only cars which do stay quiet. I have recently bought a Packard 6 and it certainly gets mechanical noise far more and faster than the Silver Ghost. Driving the Phantom, as compared with the Silver Ghost strikes me like shaving with a sharp razor instead of a blunt one. Dilution. You will be pleased to hear that even with the butterfly in the exhaust held open, the oil-dilution is not much more than half what we normally get on the Silver Ghost. Intake Temperatures. The temperatures of the intake gas (taken by a thermometer in the pilot jet opening) compare with the Silver Ghost as shown in attached chart. These are measured over a standard test route. In order to get quicker warming up we are proposing to try a heated manifold with an inserted copper pipe as shown in A-7683 herewith. We have tried this scheme on one of our standard cars with success. | ||