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).
Summary of design features from a competing manufacturer's new light eight vehicle.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 178\2\ img179 | |
| Date | 19th February 1934 | |
| -3- They are making a small light eight to be somewhere in the Pontiac class; i.e. just better than the Chevrolet, so that they can get a reasonable volume of production. They have a spring drive in the clutch centre. Vacuum, pump below petrol pump for operating windscreen wiper. They are using a leaf spring driven flywheel at the front end of the crankshaft on their new job. They use a Marles steering with needle roller bearing in the pendulum lever shaft and 20-1 and 22-1 overall ratio on their series 34-60 & 34-90 respectively. This seems about the average steering ratio on this size of American car with knee action; steering wheel 18" dia. They use a vacuum brake booster, cable operated brakes which, with hydraulic, seem to cover the whole American passenger car range. Dynamo charging rate controlled by a thermostat which throws in a resistance into the field circuit when the temp. of the generator approaches danger point. The engine is mounted in five points in rubber, but apart from the rubber has no suggestion of floating power. Buicks are determined to reduce the weight of their cars and have already made considerable strides in their new light eight. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||