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).
Article from 'Automotive Industries' on the new Austin Eight, detailing its specifications and comparing it to the Austin Seven.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 132\1\ scan0124 | |
| Date | 11th March 1939 | |
| Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 348 Austin's New Eight Displaces “Best Seller” in the British markets after twenty years springs front and rear (the Seven had a cross spring in front), with silentbloc bushes for the anchor pins and bronze bushes adjustable for lateral wear, for the shackle pins. Luvax piston-type shock absorbers are used. Wheels are spoked disk, with 4.50 in. x 17 in. Dunlop tires. Brakes are of the Girling mechanical type, with wedge and roller shoe operation, balance lever compensation, and all operating rods in tension. There is compensation also between front and rear brakes. The hand lever, operating all four sets of shoes, is located between the front seats. With the gear housing secured to the front end of the frame and the tie rod forward of the axle, the steering column has exceptional rake and carries a spring-spoked wheel with horn button and direction indicator control above the center. The gear is of the hour-glass worm-and-sector type developed by Austin and used on other models of late. Coupling joints are Thompson self-adjusting. There is a notable departure from Austin practice in the frame. Although it is self-supporting, carrying the powerplant and providing attachment for springs and axles, it is incomplete until the all-steel body is fitted. It has two full-length side members, with channels facing outward, united by a sheet metal floor that includes the rear-seat base and the luggage-and-spare-wheel locker floor. This floor unit is ribbed to prevent buckling, and arched at the center to form the propeller-shaft tunnel. There are three box-section cross members and diagonal bracing at the front end. The body has sill extensions that overlap the frame channels and are bolted to the latter at a large number of points to convert the channel into a box section. From the dash forward the channels have welded-on stiffening plates to give a box section and support the dash. Six body types are offered, viz., two-seated and four-seated open tourers with folding top and detachable side panels, a two-door and four-door sedans with fixed head, and the same sedans with a sliding roof section. All glass is of the “toughened” safety type. The sedans give considerably more passenger space than on the Seven. The rear locker has 6 cu. ft. of space for luggage on a floor above the spare wheel compartment and the bottom-hinged lid{A. J. Lidsey} folds flat and will carry 650 lb. of additional luggage. Following are some comparative figures for the Seven and the new Eight (both of which have a maximum speed of about 55 m.p.h.): Seven Eight Wheelbase .......... 81 in. 88½ in. Track, rear ........ 43 in. 45 in. Overall length ..... 127 in. 149 in. " width ............ 51 in. 56 in. Turning circle ..... 38 ft. 6 in. 37 ft. 0 in. Weight ............. 1480 lb. 1650 lb. Width over rear arm-rests ............ 42½ in. 48 in. Width between rear armrests ......... 34½ in. 39½ in. Back of front seat to rear squab ....... 26½ in. 29½ in. The hood and radiator grille represent other pronounced departures from Austin practice hitherto. Corresponding with current American practice the hood is of the alligator type, the radiator emblem forming a latch handle; the shallow side (Turn to page 349, please) Build-up of the front end of the Austin Eight chassis Automotive Industries March 11, 1939 | ||