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).
Inquiry from a Bentley owner seeking information on performance modifications for competition use.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\3\ Scan007 | |
| Date | 25th October 1966 guessed | |
| -2- Having always dabbled in competition motoring, I am now tempted to use this Bentley for some mild hill climbs and short races, in view of the excellent handling and general responsiveness of the car, but would like to improve performance still further, in order to take full advantage of its other attributes. I have therefore been hunting up all the information I can obtain on what modifications were carried out on the ER Hall Tourist Trophy car, but as you are doubtless aware there is not a lot of published information on this car. I am therefore writing to you to ask whether you have access to any of the details of what development work was done on the car, particularly so far as engine modifications and final drive ratios were concerned, or if not whether you know of any people still working for the Company who were involved in the development of Halls car. I am of course aware that Hall's actual car is now owned by Briggs Cunningham in America, but imagine that he may not have a lot of detail on the mechanical specification of the car. I also have the opportunity of obtaining a 4¼ Litre engine, but before deciding whether it would be worth trying to put this engine into my 3½ Litre car, I would like to try to find out what clutch or other modifications were necessary when this conversion was carried out on Hall's car. I realise this may be a long way out of your province, but if you can give me any help, or advise me who else I could write to to obtain the sort of information I need, I would indeed be grateful. I can assure you that Volume I. of your magnificent book has been very well received in this Country, and we are all impatiently waiting for Volume II. Kind regards. Yours sincerely, [Signature] G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} Sandford-Morgan. | ||