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).
Merits of three-speed versus four-speed gearboxes and driver practices.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 137\5\ scan0018 | |
| Date | 20th November 1919 | |
| To CJ. from R.{Sir Henry Royce} Copy to BN.{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} " " EH. " " WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} " " EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} " " PN.{Mr Northey} RE GEAR BOXES. X.3720. The three or four speed depend entirely upon the engine, i.e. if engine is powerful, top gear is low, engine is flexible, i.e. can be run with good power and sweetly at very high and very low speeds, then three speeds are ample. All the above conditions are necessary features of AN engine for other reasons, such as acceleration without changing down, a desire to do everything, even getting away on top gear (in contrast to the way a racer gets away, by tearing away on each gear to a very high engine speed) which I believe you so admire in Lord Montague's and other drivers practices. R.{Sir Henry Royce} Since writing the above, I have had a discussion with Mr. Northey. I asked him which gears our trial car drivers used in getting away, saying that I generally started on present second, and quickly changed to fourth. He informed me that they adopted starting on third, getting quickly into fourth when the road was level. Manifestly, therefore, from No.2 gear the direct would be quite equally good practice with three speed box. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||