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).
Test drive and evaluation of Sir Denistoun Burney's car, comparing its performance and lack of engine noise to other models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179\2\ img022 | |
| Date | 7th December 1931 | |
| ORIGINAL To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}3/W.7.12.31. Y3531 SIR DENISTOUN-BURNEY'S CAR. Since writing the last report, Sir Denistoun Burney has visited Derby and brought with him one of his cars. We tried the car again around Derby, on roads which we know. We confirmed our impressions that the riding of this car is very good indeed. Also all the irritating noises which cause so much cost and anxiety simply did not exist in this car. The 'Beverley' engine is a whited camshaft job yet on this car there is no complaint whatever of engine noise. The road wheel HP. of the car was 43, which is about the same as our old 25 HP. car. The speed of the car on the road, therefore, in spite of it having a much larger body than anything we have put on a 25 HP., is very good indeed. With development of this car one can anticipate that the rear passengers will have the comfort approaching a railway train. We admit that it is irritating to have to think of an entirely new kind of motor-car, but as it has several sound fundamental advantages, I should not like to take the responsibility of turning it down. With this design of car it is possible to take an engine which Sir Denistoun Burney can buy for £50 and anyone riding in the car would consider it more silent than an R.R. In confidence, Sir Denistoun Burney informed me that Standard & Riley had taken up a licence for producing this car. His own Company were also contemplating and had practically completed negotiations for taking over the Lagonda Company. If they did this, it was their intention to proceed with a Sports car made on these lines. The two-litre supercharged engine had already been developed by Lagonda and on the test bench they were obtaining 110 HP. at 5000 RPM. One is not in a position to say exactly what the car will eventually be like, but we should say it would be worth a lot on a sports car to leave the 'buzz' of the engine and the noise of the supercharger to the rear. I finally told Sir Denistoun Burney that I would try and arrange for R.{Sir Henry Royce} to see one of these cars at W.H. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||