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).
Continued report on a proposed J.I. engine car, discussing its performance, costs, and market strategy.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 3\4\ 04-page099 | |
| Date | 1st January 1932 | |
| -2- Br.I/W.W.S.S.32. Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} The alternative car with J.I. would be an engine of proved reliability and quality. It would give the same power but would do it in a very much pleasanter way. Fitted to the J.I. car and saloon body it would certainly lap Brooklands at 90 M.P.H., which means under favourable road conditions the car would do well over this. Also if we were prepared to sacrifice low speed performance and use special fuel we could easily get more power. In our opinion it would be a car of outstanding quality, whereas if we make a supercharged car, unless we are going to make it very different to any supercharged car which has yet been made it will be simply a fast car. To anticipate the car with J.I would be approximately 100 lbs. heavier and the tax would be £26 instead of £15. Against that, however, we consider the consumption on the J.I. will be better than we shall get on the Newport. We have tried a number of the popular sports cars. Yesterday we were on a new 20 H.P. Alvis which sells for £850. These cars are simply awful compared with the J.I. The J.I. engine is already waiting for a job and in the Newport we have a car waiting for an engine. We cannot conceive of a better combination. The proper lines of the Newport are so different to the 25 HP. that we do not think it can be looked upon as a competitor. Another advantage we can see in it is that we should get closer to the racing fraternity. We have a dread of getting dragged into the motor racing business. Another important point we consider is that a supercharged engine can so easily be abused and 'bent up', that the servicing costs would be much higher. We are prepared to admit that until we have made and run a supercharged car we do not know what is possible. We ought and should push on with the development of such an engine. In the meantime if we leave the Bentley Co., without a car to sell the goodwill must disappear. Bm. | ||