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).
Visit to the Vauxhall Motors Ltd. factory in Luton to observe their engine and brake testing procedures.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27\2\ Scan206 | |
| Date | 24th April 1934 | |
| X/775 Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Smth.9/KW.1.5:34. Visit to Messrs. Vauxhall Motors Ltd. On 24.4.34 I was one of a party which visited the Works of Messrs. Vauxhall Motors Ltd. at Luton. It was hoped that I might be able to pick up information which would be useful in connection with the proposed extensions to our Experimental Test Houses. This plan, however, was thwarted, since visitors are not allowed in the Experimental Department, and a combination of ignorance and secrecy rendered the guide not very informative on this subject. A promise that I might interview one of their Experimental Engineers was never fulfilled. It was gathered, however, that the Experimental Department is in the process of being rebuilt. As regards the Production testing of engines, 1 in every 20 is tested for performance on an electric dynamometer installed in the engine machine shop. All engines manufactured are coupled in tandem for running-in purposes, one engine being used to motor the other. This process also is carried out in the machine shop. The engines are run in on petrol and the whole operation takes about 4 hours. The brakes of the finished cars are adjusted by the use of a Heenan & Froude Brake Tester before the car leaves the moving track on which it is assembled. Every car is given a bump test on a machine also manufactured by Heenan & Froude. In this machine the wheels of the car rest on shoes which are violently agitated by out of balance members rotating inside them. We were most hospitably received at Vauxhall's by Mr. Eisler, the assistant to the General Manager. We were all very impressed by the quality of the Vauxhall Light 6 cars which transported us to and from the Works. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/F.Ll.Smith. | ||