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 responding to 'U.S.A. Complaints' by comparing the performance of American and European cars under different conditions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 50\3\ Scan165 | |
| Date | 19th August 1921 | |
| X4305 CC Mr. Belnap Mr. Nadin August 19, .1921. CY5/G19.8.21. Mr. Claude Johnson, Managing Director, Rolls-Royce Ltd., London, England. Attention Messrs. Royce and Hives. X3719 X4305 Dear Sir:- Re U.S.A. Complaints. Letter R10/G8.8.21. With regard to Mr. Royce's letter on this subject, we think it should be emphasized that the American cars although they may not appear to advantage in England as compared with English and European cars, do have great advantages over English and ~~that they do give~~ European cars when running under condition of the States, and that they do give real satisfaction from the point of view of the American user. It is admitted generally that the problem of carburation of American fuel is not thoroughly mastered as yet, and a good deal of crankcase dilution, mis-firing, loading-up, carbonizing etc. occurs on American cars when run for short trips in the Wintertime because the hot spot devices fitted to them do not have an opportunity of warming up before a great deal of crankcase dilution has occurred. However, the fact remains that since these conditions are understood by the users of the cars, who change the engine oil frequently in wintertime and expect to meet with a certain amount of carbonization, the American user does obtain satisfactory service from the average American automobile under winter conditions, the reason being that in almost every case of American cars, a workable arrangement has been found for evaporating the fuel supplied. Generally speaking, the American cars are far less affected by the temperature of the cooling water and engine house than the R-R, because they do not have the combination of a long exposed induction pipe with a carburetter which takes very little hot air. We agree that the temperature of the water has a great effect in avoiding excessive oil friction on the walls of the cylinders, but we do not think that raising the temperature of the air under the hood even as high as 150°F.{Mr Friese} produces nearly so great an effect on the average American car as it does on the R-R or will produce as great results on the R-R under American contd. | ||