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).
Road test report comparing the performance of car 32-EX against the standard 3-AZ-38, focusing on gear ratios and acceleration.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 91\2\ scan0059 | |
| Date | 2nd July 1937 | |
| Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} re- 32-EX. I spent three hours yesterday morning on this car trying it in various ways, both on the road, on the Brooklands Test Hill and on the Track and in thick traffic from the point of view of starting from rest at traffic lights, in traffic blocks, starting on a hill of 1 in 4 with full load and running at high speed. We were accompanied by 3-AZ-38, our standard London Trials Car with similar body. Bearing in mind that the top gear is the same ratio as the present standard and that the chief alterations centres round the use of a second gear in place of the present second and third gears, and that the difference in the first gear ratio is I understand only very slight, attention was of course chiefly centred on the second gear and the comparative performance of the two cars in respect of normal use, traffic light starts, rapidity of acceleration up to 80 m.p.h., etc. I found that when driving 32-EX I could as always get away from 3-AZ-38 (driven by Fraser) although not necessarily at the start. Using the first gear 32-EX was superior from the start and there was never any question about it. Using the second gear the present standard car was quicker off the mark, but it was only a question of a short while before 32-EX caught up with the other car and passed it, and I think I can safely say that under all conditions 32-EX would be the first by a substantial margin in reaching 60 m.p.h. To prove out the fact that it was not the personal element that was establishing it we changed cars, and Fraser drove 32-EX and I drove 3-AZ-38. The superiority of 32-EX was established just the same. The only disappointing feature of the gearbox of 32-EX is the comparatively slow get-away when starting from rest on second gear. This of course is only disappointing when another car is competing, and in that respect 3-AZ-38 (London Trials) made us look silly. Except under those conditions the starting from rest on second gear I thought was quite pleasant, normal and acceptable. So far as the overdrive itself is concerned, this is I think a very pleasing and desirable feature on a car of this type. (contd) | ||