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).
Criticism regarding the accessibility of Bentley front seats compared to the Rover car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\1\ scan0410 | |
| Date | 17th January 1936 | |
| W/S - Bly.{B. W. Bleaney - Bentley Sales} x204 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}7/KW.17.1.36. Accessibility of Bentley Front Seats. The main criticism that I get from my friends who use Bentleys is that it is not easy to get in and out of the front seats. They quote the Rover car as being smaller and yet infinitely better in this respect, and personally I agree with them. I got hold of Ward the other day and showed him the Rover, and we discussed things that might be done to the Bentley to get the same results. I am going to get him to make some concrete proposals in the form of body drawings, and then possibly we may get an experimental body built to give the advantages aimed at. I have heard indirectly, however, that the difficulty of entering the front seats is something of which you never get complaints. If this is really so it will be quoted against my effort to improve this feature, but I should be glad to know what your experience is. Whether you have complaints or not, I am sure everyone would be glad to be able to get in and out of the car more easily. I hear that sales are still a bit sticky, but hope that you will bump up with the changeover. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||