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).
Road test observations on various car models, focusing on cooling, vibration, and frame movement.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 65a\3\ scan0003 | |
| Date | 24th May 1929 guessed | |
| -3- I met Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} by arrangement yesterday on the Welwyn by-pass road with 21-EX and the 20 h.p. m.x (having the 3" longer wheelbase) which I had also with me over Whitsun. He had brought with him 23-EX which purported to be exactly similar to 21-EX, except that the brake-liners were made of the "Asbesto" material referred to above. I found also that the shock-absorber setting was such that the car probably represented the best conditions for damping control for cars used in and around London, as against the type used for fast touring. We found with this car - 23-EX - that it was possible to boil the water when running yesterday with the shutters wide open. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} agreed with me that the urgency could not be greater than dealing immediately with this problem of circulation, and he is therefore taking immediate steps to look into the causes of the unsatisfactory cooling, because we certainly should succeed in obtaining at least as effective cooling with the SS.{S. Smith} as in the case of the "Phantom" which has not given us an unreasonable amount of trouble. I also pointed out that in connection with any cars used for touring in hot conditions or mountaineering, one would have louvres in the bonnet, and in connection with any tests to be made in France during the hot weather it would be best to have louvres or shutters at the sides capable of adjustment so that we could tell what amount of area of opening appeared to be desirable. I found that the engine of 23-EX yesterday had very much the same characteristics as 21-EX, but was not in my opinion so free from vibration. 20 h.p. LONGER FRAME - 12-G4. WITH TURBULENT HEAD. I made careful observations with Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} as to the relative amount of jellying movement in the front of this experimental 20 h.p. and the Hooper trials saloon. The 3" longer chassis appeared to produce a movement of the radiator of higher frequency than the movement in the case of the trials car, although the extent of the movement was not greater. The trials car bonnet undoubtedly has a slower jellying movement, and I formed the opinion that we should be justified in accepting the longer frame so far as the consideration of any jellying movement to the radiator was concerned on the experimental car, but having regard to the fact that a second experimental car had been | ||