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).
Report and analysis of the 1936 Tourist Trophy Race.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\6\ Scan115 | |
| Date | 29th September 1936 | |
| X26~ To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to MX.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}9/MW.29.9.36. Tourist Trophy Race, 1936. Once again, the Bentley ran second in this race. Apart from the weather the car ran entirely to expectations. The tyre wear was very good; there was no doubt that rain improved their life by something like 25%. The petrol consumption was surprisingly good, being 11.4 M.P.G., which meant that the car finished with 10 gallons in the tank. Again, had the rain not kept the average speed down, this consumption would not have been so good. The popular conception of this race was that there were only two cars in it - Dixon's Riley and the Bentley - and that the Riley won because of the heavy rain which lasted for the first three hours of the race. It is very probable that if it hadnot rained the Bentley would have won. On the other hand, Dixon stopped for a fill up. If he had run straight through as he may do another year, it is doubtful whether he would not have won, even under the best possible climatic conditions. Quite apart from Dixon, the race was disturbing from the point of view of next year's entry in several particulars - (1) It is probably not generally realised that Brian Lewis, being one of a team of 3 Lagonda cars, was able to take such risks that had he not run out of oil he might have beaten Hall, in spite of the fact that he stopped for a fill-up while Hall did not. There is no reason why the Lagondas should not fit large tanks next year. | ||