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).
Improvements for engine smoothness and silence on the 20/25 HP test car, referencing specific component upgrades.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5a\4\ 04-page010 | |
| Date | 2nd January 1934 | |
| E/W. R/Ltd. c. to Mr. C.E. c. to Mr. BX, MRC. c. to Mr. HY.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}SV. c. to Mr. JSR. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} x5820 Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}1/RDES.1.c4. 20/25 H.P. - Next 10,000 Miles Test Car. I have been reading through with much interest E/Ltd.1/EPU.1.34. on the above subject. It is pleasing to note that you have many improvements, some of major and others of minor importance. I was looking through the 38 improvements with a view to seeing anything which would specifically improve the smoothness of the engine, with particular reference to the period at 18 m.p.h. on top gear from which this chassis suffers, and I notice that improvement No. 34 - "Larger balance weights on existing Bentley type crankshaft employing two fixing studs with collars" - may possibly have been introduced with that particular object amongst others in view. From a sales point of view we are frequently having our cars criticised as not being as smooth and as silent as they used to be, particularly by owners of the old 20 to whom we try to sell a 20/25. We know, and they appreciate, that the performance is altogether better than the old 20, but they still set a great deal of importance on silence and smoothness. I cannot find anything which would improve the silence very noticeably other than No. 28 - "More Silent Fan" - but any noise that comprises the fan is not one that we have specifically criticised, although naturally it is best to be as silent as possible with the two bonnet doors down. There is a good deal of general noise yet which is not infrequently criticised which one cannot definitely attribute to any one cause because it probably emanates from many. For instance, yesterday I was driving OYE-82 a Hooper stock Car, which I am sorry to say was a very unpleasant example of a 20/25 H.P. Rolls-Royce. It seemed generally coarse and noisy and certainly lacked at the slower speeds the silkiness and smoothness which we claim for our cars, and I was hoping that you might have certain improvements in hand which would tend to alliminate noise, other than the more silent fan. I appreciate that you are doing all you can to improve the chassis generally, but we often find it very hard to convince customers that we have progressed under the heading of silence and smoothness during the last few years. Many are quite certain that we have not progressed under these headings, although they admit that the performance of the car is greatly improved. | ||