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 to M.C. Wilks of Rover Motors Ltd. regarding an experimental Aspin engine and potential collaboration.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 127\2\ scan0139 | |
| Date | 29th April 1940 | |
| Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/ML. 29.4.40. M.C.Wilks,Esq., Rover Motors Ltd., Coventry. Dear Wilks, Thank you very much for your letter of the 24th. April with enclosed correspondence from Mr. Morley. One is always up against this sort of thing and I suppose really, this is inevitable. I am very interested to hear that you have been to see Mr. Aspin. We are most fortunate in having an Experimental engine with an overhead camshaft drive, which will take Mr. Aspin's head with little or no modification. We are therefore hoping, within a reasonable period of time, to have this power plant running in a car. This I think, is the only way to judge any new development, because the fact that an engine does not detonate on a test bed at a high c/r certainly does not mean that one uses the same c/r in the complete automobile without experiencing roughness. Personally, I am convinced that even if the anti-detonating qualities of the head can be substantiated, it is highly improbable that at the present we shall be able to use very much above 130 B.M.E.P. on the road and retain the desirable smoothness. However, we shall be only too glad to let you follow through this experiment with us. If, at the same time, you can help us on transmission so much the better. You will gather that I am more interested in the mechanical features of the Aspin engine than the alleged anti-detonating qualities of the Aspin head. Yours sincerely, | ||