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).
Effectiveness of various headlamp and foglight configurations for driving.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 61a\2\ scan0416 | |
| Date | 3rd December 1934 | |
| S/W Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst WST 86116. C5/C3.12.34 Re Headlamps and Foglights. With reference to Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}7/KW1.12.34, I agree that this matter is an urgent one and we ought to come to some definite decision as quickly as possible. My experience is that a centrally mounted lamp, such as the Lucas FT.37, with a concentrated narrow beam, is very good in a heavy fog for moving along, if it is set well to the left; I find that it does really pick out the kerb in a blanket fog, when one has really got down to the point of crawling along. This lamp, however, is not good enough to be used as an ordinary driving lamp with both headlamps out. It would be very interesting to try the clip-on front glass which you refer to, on Lucas, for giving the light ahead in fog. For ordinary night driving I find the centre lamp is not so powerful as the one headlamp dipped and turned. 2 headlamps dipped and turned are, of course more powerful still but owing to the oncoming traffic not realising you have done anything you are always in danger of having their headlamps turned up at you at the wrong time. I also find the one lamp better than the dimmed 2 lamps of the Grebel type, from the point of view of light and getting response. I think we must all the time keep in mind this question of response, although all cars are now adopting the offside lamp out scheme and the nearside turned and dipped, and this gives quite a reasonable light, although, of course, one cannot hope to maintain the same speed. We want to avoid Rolls-Royce cars getting a reputation for not being considerate to other road users. C. | ||