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).
Comparing the performance and specifications of car models 14-EX and 8-EX, based on a recent meeting.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 65a\1\ scan0377 | |
| Date | 1st June 1928 | |
| [Handwritten top left] HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} [Handwritten top center] X7770 [Text below is typed unless otherwise noted] To C. from BJ. [Struck through] To Sq. from BJ. [Struck through] To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from BJ. [Struck through] To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from BJ. To OMY FROM BJ. [Struck through] Re 14-EX and. 8-EX. PN{Mr Northey} gave me particulars this morning of the very interesting and useful meeting he had with R.{Sir Henry Royce} at West WitteringHenry Royce's home town on the 30th. He had with him 8-EX which has a rather higher compression than our present standard and has a back axle gear equal to our standard 15-tooth pinion; also 14-EX which has a still higher compression and a back axle ratio equal to 14 1/2 tooth pinion. Our future back axle will be 14-pinion as standard [handwritten] for closed cars. Generally speaking, PN{Mr Northey} had formed the opinion that 8-EX was quite a mediocre car whilst 14-EX is a wonderfully good car. It seems to me that what will be of greatest interest to us all now will be for us to have an opportunity of trying a car fitted with a 14-tooth axle - (namely our future standard for the heavy type of car with covered body) - and a compression which is considered by the technical officials as most/suitable for our future standard, as it is difficult for us to judge what is the cause of the increased vim in the car whilst there are two unusual factors, namely, alteration in compression and alteration in gear ratio. If it is intended that F.R.B. Series is to be similar to 8-EX but with a 14-tooth axle, we shall be glad to test such a car at the earliest possible moment, to know what we are going to produce as standard as we have not yet had an opportunity of doing so. It would be interesting to ascertain if possible why 14-EX has so very much more "pep" than 8-EX, as the latter in PN{Mr Northey}'s opinion is quite disappointing in performance from a sales point of view. In regard to 14-EX, PN{Mr Northey} likes the semi-elliptic springs and considers they are a distinct improvement on the present standard springs, but in judging these he was somewhat handicapped by the fact that they were on the light side, and still more by the entire inadequacy of the damping afforded on this car. | ||