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).
Performance tests on a Bentley demonstrating the importance of weight on acceleration.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 88\3\ scan0005 | |
| Date | 1st June 1933 | |
| V258 To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} C. to C. C. to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} C. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} C. to H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} C. to Hx. C. to Gx. C. to Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} PERFORMANCE TESTS ON THE BENTLEY. During the visit of C., Gx., Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}, and Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} to the Works on Tuesday May 30th., a demonstration was made with two Bentley cars to emphasise the importance of weight on the performance of these cars. Two Bentley cars were first of all compared, one carrying five passengers and the other two. It was observed that the car with two passengers had very much superior acceleration and gained four or five car lengths between the speeds of 20 and 60 M.P.H. The car originally carrying five passengers then had three of the occupants transferred to the car which carried two passengers only, and the test was repeated. Again the lighter car showed much superior acceleration. These tests confirm the theoretical calculations that the difference in the acceleration between the two cars would be altered by 50% by transferring three passengers from one to the other, and that the performance of the Bentley car which is its most important selling point is vitally dependent upon the weight of the coachwork with which it is fitted. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||