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).
Design compromises regarding torsion rod front suspension and experiences with lightweight car bodies.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 117\1\ scan0314 | |
| Date | 21th February 1939 | |
| - 2 - BY.10/G.21.2.39. reaction effects on the front suspension from being transmitted to the body and therefore to the passengers. All designing is a series of compromises, and we were well aware of the good and bad points of the torsion rod suspension, including the fact that a lighter frame member could be used with same, but the other very real difficulties forced us to finally adopt our present form of suspension, as we can handle any troubles arising from the front end movement but had no solution of the transmission of wheel reactions to the body entailed in the torsion rod type of front suspension. The above facts are amply supported by our experiences on the Wraith car, on which the attack is being made. The body on 25-G-Vl{V. Lewis / Mr Valentine} which you are running as a trials car has done 50,000 miles, and is an ultra light Limousine made of wood and aluminium, only weighing 11½ cwts. - car weight 39½ cwts. We have also run six experimental cars all in wood and aluminium, which have toto run some 200,000 miles without any attention to the bodies, average weight of cars in running order 39½ cwts., an average weight of body of 11 cwts. The lightest is 10½ cwts. and has run 35,000 miles. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||