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).
Magazine page featuring a suggestion for a special vehicle demonstration track near London and an article about a visit to the Clement Talbot Works.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 2\6\ B002_X 140 141 157-page173 | |
| Date | 12th February 1912 | |
| The Motor 35 12th February, 1912. A TEST TRACK. Suggestion for a Special Demonstration Track Near London. Why Not? IT seems to me that the most needed “want” of the motoring public and manufacturers alike is a demonstration track. We have, it is true, Brooklands; but then, this is 22 miles from London, and if every purchaser were taken on a trial run to the track, this would be an extremely expensive item for manufacturers to cope with. In the ordinary course of events, the prospective purchaser asks for a trial run, and the salesman usually suggests Netherhall Gardens and Fitzjohn’s Avenue, N.W. In doing this, a long pull and a short, steep climb are both necessary, but neither of these demonstrations tell the purchaser much. The car used may be geared for climbing these two hills specially—not that I suggest seriously that this is done. No; what is wanted is a special track within a few miles of central London, to which cars can be taken to prove their worth. To my mind, this track should contain the following “stretches” :— (a) About 300 yds. of flat, straight track, upon which acceleration tests could be demonstrated; the track to be marked off with white posts every 10 ft. or 20 ft., so that calculation would be simple. (b) A long continuous hill, beginning with a gradient of 1 in 20 and incorporating a stretch of 1 in 5. A long straight stretch is not necessary for this test, and is not advisable, as the lock of the car could not easily be tested. A special hill should be constructed with a double-width road, railed off in the centre, an up road and a down road. The road to be spiral, i.e., encircling the hill, and the gradient gradually increased as under ordinary road conditions. At various points on the gradient refuges would be constructed for “failures” to run back into, and gaps in the centre railings for cars incapable of ascending to turn round and descend on their proper side, and thus avoid congestion. At the top of the hill a large flat space would be made for cars to turn round and descend by the down road. During the long upward climb, the engine and transmission would have to work up to its maximum, and the client would have an opportunity of finding out bad qualities, i.e., loss of power on long climbs; also it would be easy to judge quietness of transmission when working at maximum “pull,” and satisfactory cooling. All these points could be demonstrated in a short space of time, and would save both time and expense, wasted so often by clients and manufacturers in giving extended road trials. I do not say that a long road trial should never be given, but I am sure that, to the majority of cases, it would not be necessary after a car had accomplished the preceding test. The corners on the hill would be a very good test for steering lock. Another point that this arrangement would do away with is “joy-riding.” Many “inquiries” are received, in which trial runs are asked for, when the inquirer never intends to purchase, but thinks it a huge joke to have a nice motor ride in the country at somebody else’s expense. They would not inquire if they thought that they would only be taken about 10 miles inclusive out to the testing ground and back. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} MILTON RANDELI. A Look Round the Clement Talbot Works. IN the course of our frequent visits to motorcar works it often occurs to us what a good thing it would be if the motorist could enjoy a similar experience. We were particularly impressed in this way one day last week, when we were being conducted by Mr. Frank Shorland and Mr. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} P. Mills over the works of Clement-Talbot, Ltd., where the Invincible Talbots are made. Why “Invincible?” might be asked. Well, the answer is to be found at every turn of the works, for thoroughness is everywhere the watchword. It is at such a place as this that the query, “Why do motorcars cost so much?” would receive its everlasting quietus—at least in respect of such a high-grade car as the Talbot. The average motorist who takes delivery of his car, and finds everything perfect, takes it all for granted. Of course he does not know. He has not seen the gears being run in for hours and hours. Nor has he seen the engines assembled and undergoing their bench tests under the most exacting scrutiny. He has not observed the infinite care with which the whole mass of detail is assembled together in the chassis, a test body put on and the machine run on the track—Messrs. Clement-Talbot, Ltd., have their own four-lap-to-the-mile banked track encircling the factory. Even after this test the chassis are driven for miles on the road up hill and down. We saw one chassis having its rear axle dismantled after testing, a slight noise having developed in the course of the trial on the track. There are only a few of the exhaustive processes of testing and counter-testing which a Talbot chassis goes through before it reaches that point of perfection which satisfies those responsible for its production and refinement. A department at the Clement-Talbot works which interested and impressed us very much was the Spare-parts Stores. In this department a complete stock of parts is kept in such order that it is possible to locate any single requirement for a Talbot car of any date in a moment. Here again it comes home to one that in view of the locked-up capital represented by such a stock, and also in view of the conveniences of quick delivery to customers in case of sudden emergency, the prices of spares are not so unreasonable as sometimes we are led to suppose from complaints that find their way into the Press. In a recent test appeared some criticisms of silencers. The Crowden Central Motor Co., Ltd. send us this illustration of the silencer of Sizaire cars, which they handle, and which they claim has all the points required. The car is perfectly silent, yet the exhaust box contains nothing which can shake or cause back pressure. The whole can be taken down and cleaned by undoing four nuts only. 34 | ||