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).
The road test of the 20-G-4 Special Touring Saloon, noting issues with its gearbox and comparing performance to a Trials car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 104\4\ scan0080 | |
| Date | 17th December 1931 | |
| X5310. X5992 X5120. X5310. To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} re 20-G-4. Copy to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} The Special Touring Saloon. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}3/E17.12.31 Dodd doubtless told you that Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} and I tried this car yester day. Generally speaking, we thought it was a delightful little car. We made two comparative tests with our Trials 20/25 Weymann - one an acceleration test from 10 miles per hour and the other from 20 miles per hour. We found that on both of these tests our present Trials car "got away" more quickly than 20-G-4 but this position was not ling maintained, i.e. 20-G-4 in a few hundred yards passed the Trials car. I should be interested to know whether you attribute this to the slightly higher gear ratio which I understand is fitted to 20-G-4. We thought that 20-G-4 was a little rougher but not to an extent which could be considered detrimental. I believe I am correct in assuming that from the point of view of new features to improve power etc., 20-G-4 is the same as 18-G-4. With regard to the gearbox we were disappointed with the 3rd gear under practically all conditions. We certainly could not claim that it was a silent third! The noise from the gearbox when the engine is idling is also bad. I note from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Gry{Shadwell Grylls}4/KT.15.12.31. that you are in trouble over these points which of course is very unfortunate seeing how anxious we are to produce these new features as soon as possible. If we could get the idling noise right more quickly than we can get a silent third, it seems to me that we could introduce the easy change gearbox without waiting for the silent third. In other words it would be helpful to have the easy change feature without necessarily waiting for the silent third. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||