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).
Letter to N. Rollason discussing a future independently sprung Bentley, streamlining, and performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\3\ scan0115 | |
| Date | 30th November 1937 | |
| 261 Rml/R.{Sir Henry Royce} 30th November, 1937. N. Rollason, Esq., The Manor House, Tittensor, STOKE-on-TRENT. Dear Neville, Many thanks for your letter of the 29th November. I gather that you are expecting us to bring out an independently sprung Bentley before very long. The only thing I can reply to this is that if and when we have got an independently sprung Bentley which gives better results than the present car, we will put it into production. When this will be neither I, nor anybody else knows, but there will be no alteration to the car during the next 12 months. I am inclined to agree with you that one would not feel very happy in the present Bentley at 115 m.p.h. on an ordinary main road. Unfortunately, when talking about streamline cars we all mention maximum speed. When I talk about maximum speed it is only a figure of speech to illustrate the horse-power which has been saved by reducing drag. Personally, for English conditions I am not interested in speeds at over 100 m.p.h. at present. Unfortunately, most people think of streamline as something that begins to be useful at 100 m.p.h. In actual fact, the reduction in drag on the model you saw is equivalent to decreasing the car weight by 6 1/2 cwts @ 50 m.p.h., by 11 cwts @ 60 m.p.h. and by 29 cwts at 70 m.p.h., all quite normal speeds which you and I use every day. Now, if we do not want to use a speed above 100 m.p.h., we can alter the engine characteristics so that it has a good low speed torque, but a high speed torque which falls off and limits the car speed to 100 m.p.h. Of course, when not accelerating the reduced drag | ||