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 completion of a 10,000-mile road test in France, detailing the car's performance.
| Identifier | Morton\M2.6\ img039 | |
| Date | 22th September 1925 | |
| SECRET. CJ. copy to BJ. CWB12/LH{Mr Haworth}22.9.25. COMPLETION OF 10,000 MILES TEST IN FRANCE. I took this car over at a mileage of 8,762, on the present test with four-speed gear box and front wheel brakes. I understand that the car with four-speed gear box and otherwise identical, except that front wheel brakes were not fitted, has already completed a test of 10,000 miles. A further mileage of 1419 was run in France, over all conditions of roads, including severe gradients and very sharp corners in the Alps. With the exception of a broken spring - which occurred at 9,400 miles, - I had no stoppages or delays due to any mechanical cause during this mileage. Generally, throughout the approximately 2,000 miles (seven thousand to nine thousand) when I was out on the car daily with the Derby Testers, and whilst I was driving the car myself, I was very much impressed with its general performance, its capacity for maintaining a high average speed, its handiness and comfort - in a word, its complete competency. This was particularly noticeable in the Alps, where, on the mountain roads, it was never necessary to drop below third gear, and the car was altogether delightful to drive owing to the lightness of the steering and the exceptional steering lock provided. Relative to every French car which I met on the road, its performance was excellent. During the whole run I was never passed by a French, or other, car, and whilst they were considerably faster on the level, it only needed a slight incline to reverse the position completely. One could always pass any car on a long slope. | ||