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 discussing the potential of a Bugatti overhead valve engine and arranging for a chassis for testing.
| Identifier | Morton\M16\ img002 | |
| Date | 8th August 1916 | |
| To EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} from R.{Sir Henry Royce} c. to EH. 10/8/16 COPY R6/W8816. August 8th, 1916. RE BUGATTI CAR. I propose sending the little Bugatti to you in the course of a week or so, and I want you and Mr Hives to give your opinion as to whether an engine built on the lines of this overhead valve one would make a good car engine. I am aware that backlash in the transmission would cause noise at low speed. This is the case with this particular four-cylinder model, but I have already suggested some simple experiments to shew whether such backlash would be noisy with a six-cylinder model. the reason being that in the case of the six-cylinder, there are approximately the same number of valves being lifted at the same velocity at all parts of the revolution of the camshaft. and therefore the camshaft should not be inclined to run in front of its transmission and cause noise. I should not propose to build the engine on the Bugatti lines entirely, because it appears that this engine is as liable to detonate owing to the position of the ignition plug, relative to the volume of the combustion chamber. I am proposing to be in Peterboro' on the 26th of this month, and if you have a chassis that requires running would it be convenient to send it to the Angel Hotel there on that day, or could you send me the Morris-Oxford,(if you think I could manage to drive it and will not be too big to look ridiculous). I do not require a big body, and two or three seats will do quite well, and I shall have my petrol license with me, and I propose running it about 20 miles a day for the five or six days I | ||