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).
Promotional document detailing the mechanical features and innovations of The Little Marmon 8 car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 32\5\ Scan232 | |
| Date | 5th May 1927 guessed | |
| The little MARMON 8 Mechanical Brevities The ultimate aim of all engineering is to eliminate unnecessary excesses and get things down to smaller, compact, more efficient form. That is what engineers mean by “dimensional economy” —the secret of making things better, more efficient and more convenient— not merely by making them smaller, but by saving space. The standard watch used today by railroad engineers is only a fraction of the size and weight of the cumbersome and unreliable timepieces of only a decade ago—yet it looks better and keeps time to the split second. This is “dimensional economy,” and it was an application of the same principle which has given us such things as the modern one-dial radio, the portable typewriter and the desk telephone. In fact, everywhere you turn, you will find the same principle at work. And that is the whole underlying idea behind the Little Marmon 8—not merely a small, inexpensive car trimmed down to meet a price, but a truly fine and luxurious car built to a standard of super-efficiency. Marmon engineers, concentrating one hundred per cent on the principle of dimensional economy, have salvaged waste inches and waste weight and have converted them into comfort and luxury —all of this in an automobile which completely meets present-day traffic and parking problems, but of such performance and stamina that it will go anywhere and do anything within the range of motoring possibility —and with certain performance characteristics which have never been previously known in any automobile. In accomplishing these results, Marmon has naturally introduced many new engineering achievements, shown now for the first time in any car—basic new developments, which, we believe, will earn a permanent place of importance in the history of automotive engineering. Here are a few of the outstanding characteristics: An eight-in-line motor, which delivers more power and a wider range of performance in proportion to its displacement than any other engine in the world, outside of aviation and the speedway. More speed, and the ability to take care of it, than you will ever use—yet with an economy which to the technical mind appears little short of miraculous. Equidistant “down-draft” manifolding, an entirely new system of eight-cylinder carburetion in which every one of the eight cylinders gets an equal amount of gas in identically the same degree of vaporization. The gas travels exactly the same distance to all eight cylinders, thereby solving the one stubborn line-eight problem of keeping the end cylinders from being “starved.” As a result, the car one moment throttles down to almost nothing, giving perfectly even, clean-cut combustion at two or three miles per hour in high gear, and the next instant can take the full charge of the wide-open throttle and leap to top speed, developing a torrent of smooth power that appears almost unbelievable. New hypoid gear drive, making possible extremely low-swung design and low center of gravity without sacrificing normal road clearance, without buckling up the floor of the tonneau—and with plenty of headroom. (Roofline of sedan only 69 inches from the ground.) Rubber-set hydraulic spring suspension, the longest springs in proportion to wheelbase of any car in the world. (All but 22 inches of the wheelbase is spring length.) Springs anchored to frame with husky rubber knuckles, instead of shackles. These new features, combined with built-in Lovejoy hydraulic shock absorbers and perfect chassis balance, make this new Little Marmon 8 the equal in riding quality of any car in the world, regardless of wheelbase or how much it costs. A new automatic oil-priming device injects oil into the cylinders immediately upon starting and prevents scoring of cylinders in cold weather; automatically turned off; an entirely new and exclusive development. New developments in steering mechanism remove practically all conscious effort of driving and render steering entirely free from “road-fight” under all driving conditions. Natural muscular path controls that bring each phase of control into so natural a movement that all “cross pull” and strain have been entirely eliminated, and consequently—the elimination of “driving fatigue or aches.” Oil consumption is almost negligible, due to a new and advanced type of oil purifier. Engine modulator which most effectively removes the last trace of vibration periods. Shock-proof frame with six “safety-factor” cross-members, one of the sturdiest ever put under a motor car; triple-trussed in front; absolutely does away with radiator shimmy. Four-wheel brakes, the most advanced self-energizing type. Smooth, quiet, positive and dependable. Oversize transmission gears—for quietness and long life—really capable of taking care of the requirements of a much larger and heavier car. New type rubber spring knuckles—in addition to contributing materially to riding quality—are rattle-proof, trouble-proof and require no lubrication, entirely doing away with spring shackle annoyances —and dozens of other features which represent the most advanced engineering thought and experience. [Image captions] The Little Marmon instrument board Rubber set hydraulic spring suspension The new hypoid gear drive | ||