Talk:Vanden Plas Princess
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Vanden Plas Princess R engine
[edit]I know, from personal experience, that there were two slightly different versions of the engine, with differences in the distributor. I know, this can't appear in the main article without a better source than ancient memory. The explanation I recall was that some engines were built by Rolls-Royce, some by Austin. There are worse places to be stuck, waiting for a spare part, than Dumfries. 31.125.100.211 (talk) 22:20, 30 October 2020 (UTC)
Body shell of Princess 4 Litre R
[edit]The article on this car implies that only vestigial changes were made to the body shell in its development from its 3 litre predecessor.
This isn't so.
I worked for BMC during the production run of the two cars, and an all-black example (originally destined for the Chairman of BMC Australia) was bought by my family, and was retained for a number of years.
To my recollection, the 'turret' (roof structure) of the car was completely different, involving slightly more vertical front and rear screens, and taller side lights (door windows).
The roofline of the 'R' was noticeably loftier than the trio of 'three litres'.
The characteristic 'eyebrows' over front and rear screens of the earlier car (and the Austin and Wolseley variants) were also stylistic deletions. (the 'eyebrow' - a forward-projecting ridge above the front windscreen - had been found to create high-speed wind noise).
The bootlid of the 3 litre cars ran down to the rear bumper bar (giving unobstructed access to the boot). In the 'R', a transverse panel, incorporating the number plate and rear lighting, raised the height of the boot aperture by an appreciable number of inches.
I believe this was done in the interests of greater bodyshell rigidity; that motivation also (to the best of my recollection) being responsible for other structural measures, not apparent externally.
There was possibly some modification to internal, engine-bay panels, made necessary to accommodate the Rolls-Royce engine. 125.168.130.100 (talk) 10:24, 4 December 2024 (UTC)