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).
Continuation of chassis specifications and a discussion on reducing car weight for improved performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 96\4\ scan0068 | |
| Date | 21th May 1936 | |
| -2- Chassis Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} (5) Autolock shock dampers. (6) Front road wheel geometry altered to minimise gyrostactic reactions (scheme issued). (7) Road wheels with wider rims to improve cornering. (8) 9/35 (8% higher than standard) axle ratio, giving 91.8 M.P.H. at 4,000 R.P.M. This ratio is in existence. (9) Magnesium dashboard, and any other parts where weight can be saved economically. (10) Coachwork to be kept down to give a complete car weight of not more than 30 cwts. After our recent visit to France and Spain we were left with the impression that the Continental owner attaches far more importance to performance than the English customer; in fact they seem to be almost obsessed with this aspect of motoring. We think this is confirmed by the remarkable success that Sr. has had with his demonstration 4 1/4 litre Bentley weighing complete only just over 30 cwts. It appears to us that getting the car down to this weight is a somewhat remarkable achievement, and as Sr. has a complete weight analysis of the coachwork, it might be possible for English body makers to learn something from the information so obtained. As this car is being used on the Continent it should be possible shortly to see where the weight saving has been overdone. We think that it should be possible to produce a complete Continental Ph.III, with wireless etc., to weigh not more than 30 cwts., and that some sort of objective should be kept in view. We appreciate that we shall not be prepared to sacrifice much silence, or put up with bad slow running. It is really up to us to submit the best we can do in this respect. The attached power curve shows that with the existing axle ratio we are 20 HP. over the peak at 90 M.P.H., which explains why it is so difficult to exceed this speed appreciably on the road. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||