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).
'Autocar' road test discussing performance issues like speedometer error and clutch slip.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\3\ scan0179 | |
| Date | 1st February 1939 | |
| 1379 F.{Mr Friese} Doop. 35 1/2 cwt - Did we check this speedometer Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} S/W. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} to Ply. "Autocar" Road Test. CxIl/KWIO.2.39. Mr.Linfield of the Autocar had B-2-MR this last week-end for the usual road test and article for a future issue of the Autocar. The general performance of the car on the road section, which was about I000 miles, was I believe above approach, but when he got to Brooklands to check up its maximum speed and to do some acceleration figures he found that the best he could get was 90 on the speedometer, which of course allowing for the margin of error brings the actual speed down to about probably 87. This is worse than the last Autocar test, which last test I remember was in itself worse than the previous one to that, so we seem to be getting slower and slower as the years go by.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Mr.Linfield asks whether he can have the car again after we have looked it over, to see whether he can improve on these figures, because he is quite sure we shall not wish him to publish figures which are inferior to those which have appeared in the past. Here of course he is quite right, and unless he can publish the full report we should have to stop the report going in, which would be a great pity. I thought you would like to know, especially as we took the precaution of sending the car to you to have it checked up. I do not know what you did to the car but you kept it for 3 or 4 days I believe. Perhaps you would let me know what you think of all this. Mr.Linfield said that he also managed to overtake the clutch one or twice with a quick change down, so that the clutch took some time before it picked up all the load. This clutch slip was also noticeable in his acceleration tests. Do you think that this noticeable slip would be likely to affect the car at maximum speed? Mr.Linfield did not say that the engine revs seemed excessive during the speed test. (cont) | ||