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. Olley of Cadillac discussing rear-engined cars, specifically the Burney and a Beverley Barnes straight 8 power unit.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\2\ img121 | |
| Date | 12th December 1931 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/AD. December 12th, 1931. M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Olley Esq. Cadillac Motor Car Co. Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. Dear Oy, Thank you for your informative letter. I shall hope to pick up information fully on these points when I come over. I can at least tell you something about rear engined motor cars. The only one of any consequence at the moment in England is the Burney. This is not a motor car constructed in the back yard of Bowden cables and scrap iron but a well thought out job with first class coachwork costing about £3,000 per car to build. The one I have tried was one of the first they made and it had a Beverley Barnes straight 8 power unit with two overhead camshafts. We think you will agree that one would consider this type of unit to be most unsuitable for a luxury motor car if it was fitted in the conventional position. It had a little short exhaust silencer about 2' long x 5" dia. The drive was by worm. The wheels were independently sprung - the makers knowing little or nothing about correct spring deflection had guessed at apparently about 4" front and rear, and not fitted any shock absorbers. I thought the attributes of the car in order of merit were :- | ||