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).
Correspondence page from 'The Motor' magazine with reader letters on various motoring topics.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\1\ Scan064 | |
| Date | 10th September 1935 | |
| The Motor 240 September 10, 1935. CORRESPONDENCE "Tim" Birkin going "flat out" round Brooklands during one of his attacks on the lap record. A correspondent, whose letter appears below, maintains that Birkin was the greatest racing driver. Many of our readers will agree with him. The World's Greatest Motorist WITH regard to the discussion in your Correspondence columns on "Who is the Greatest Driver?" I am firmly convinced that the late Sir Henry Birkin was the only man worthy of the title. It is the fact that Britain did not produce cars suitable for him to drive in Continental G.P. events, which perhaps accounts for his deeds being overshadowed. Actually, quite apart from the question of expense, he disliked handling foreign cars. But consider his constant attacks on the Brooklands lap record with a car which, since his death, no one has cared to handle. He admitted himself that he did not like driving this car. Then there were his stirring efforts at Le Mans, where he set out on the fastest car to crack up his opponents. On one such occasion he had to pass Caracciola, whom he virtually beat, by taking to the grass verge at 120 m.p.h. with a flat tyre. Towards the end of his career, he drove a 4¼-litre four-seater touring Bentley into second place at the Pan G.P., beating all other machines with the exception of that driven by Etancelin (I think it was Etancelin). In his last race, at Tripoli, he was at one time leading—was well ahead of Nuvolari and the other crack Continental drivers. Later he had to ease up on account of tyres, and be content to run third or fourth. In discussing who is the greatest driver the world has ever seen, we should take into consideration a man's outlook on motoring—his love of the game. Even those who dispute the fact that Birkin was the world's greatest driver will agree that he was the world's greatest motorist. Thornton Heath, Surrey. S.H.G. [Another letter on this subject appears on page 241.—ED.{J. L. Edwards}] What Have the Sassenachs to Say to This? HAVING just returned from loafing round Scotland with a caravan, I have been very struck with the comparison of driving manners met with on the narrow roads of northern Scotland and Skye. The English driver never, save in some 10 per cent. of cases, appears to have the least idea where his wings are; to be quite incapable of using his share of the road only and giving all room possible; and to be equally incapable of the courtesy of saying “Thank you!” when one stops or pulls off the road to let him pass—again excepting some 10 per cent. The local Scottish drivers invariably give room, stop if necessary, and express thanks when one stops for them. To their ranks I am glad to observe that most chauffeur-driven English cars may be added—the chauffeur was, in general, courteous, in contradistinction to the owner-driver. The least courteous drivers appeared, as a class, to bear Lancashire or Yorkshire registration numbers in the majority of cases—why? Why is it, and why cannot they all get to know their car clearances and learn manners before taking to the narrow mountain tracks? Cookham, Berks. A BHO GHORM. Speed Conversions Simplified THE following simplified calculations should be of interest to many motorists who have been faced with the difficulties of converting miles per hour into yards per second or kilometres per hour. For the first of these tasks it is useful to remember that in one second the number of yards which a car travels is equal approximately to half its speed in miles per hour; the error involved is a little less than 2½ per cent. Thus, 1 m.p.h. is equivalent to ½ yard per sec.; 30 m.p.h. is equivalent to 15 yards per sec., and so on. This handy approximation arises from the fact that there are 3,600 seconds in an hour, while approximately half this figure (1,760, to be exact) equals the number of yards in a mile. In order to convert k.p.h. to m.p.h., halve the figure representing speed in k.p.h. and add one-quarter of the result. Thus, if the speed is 24 k.p.h. the equivalent speed in m.p.h. is equal to 12 + 3 = 15. In the converse case, double the speed in m.p.h. and subtract one-fifth of the result. Example: 30 m.p.h., doubled, gives 60. Subtract 12 and the result is 48 k.p.h. Wolverhampton. MATHEMATICAL MOTORIST. Spring Periodicity IN seeking to find out why some cars are better sprung than others, and seeing if the variation has any connection with spring periodicity, I have tried starting a few cars rocking from side to side and counting the rate of swinging. Here are a few figures:— Ford 8 h.p., 1933, 102 per min.; Armstrong, 15 h.p., 1932, 100 per min.; Vauxhall, 12 h.p., 1934, 76 per min.; Dodge, 26 h.p., 1935, 72 per min.; Austin 7 (old), 136 per min. Braintree, Essex. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} ADSHEAD. c24 Letters intended for publication must be written on one side of the paper only and should be as short as possible. They may be signed with a nom de plume (except names of cars or of proprietary articles), but the name and address of the sender must be enclosed as a guarantee of good faith. No responsibility is taken for views expressed by the writers. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, "The Motor," 5-17 Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.1, and marked "Correspondence." | ||