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).
Car 58-GN, detailing issues with petrol starvation at speed, a leaking carburetter, and a variable steering column friction device.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 18\3\ Scan364 | |
| Date | 3rd October 1932 | |
| x7960. To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} re 58-GN. PN{Mr Northey} recently had occasion to run a car for about 200 miles and I arranged for him to take this car so that he could get some further experience with it. The following is an extract from his note to me on the subject: "During my run I was able to only run at full power for short bursts, also because petrol starvation occurred, for instance I was demonstrating the fine performance of the car up a long incline and running at 75 m.p.h., when after running for half-mile the engine suddenly ceased pulling and became right again only after sufficient time was given it whilst running slowly to collect petrol. This occurred repeatedly to a minor extent. This appears to be a similar trouble to that which occurred at Brooklands recently, when Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} had one of the carburetter valves modified at Brooklands in the Machine Shop there." I thought that you would be particularly interested to see this because I understood that the carburetter modification made at Brooklands was with a view to overcoming the petrol shortage and, if you were able to run full out at Brooklands, I do not see why PN{Mr Northey} should have had this trouble on the road. As mentioned to you the other day we find that the carburetter leaks sometimes now when the car is standing but not always. I find that the friction device on the steering column seems to alter of its own accord. Is there any fabric or anything of that sort in it which can be affected by atmospheric conditions? Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||