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).
Customer's feedback letter giving their impressions of a Phantom III and comparing it to a Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\1\ scan0231 | |
| Date | 4th January 1938 | |
| C O P Y. JOHN SUMMERS & SONS LIMITED, Hawarden Bridge Steel Works, Shotton, Chester. Ref. R.F.S/C. 4th January, 1938. Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., Conduit Street, London. Dear Sirs, As promised, I will now endeavour to give you my impressions of the Phantom III which you were good enough to lend me over Christmas. Firstly, the car is, of course, undoubtedly a Rolls Royce product, it has all the refinements of performance and finish which one has come to look upon as synonymous with the name of Rolls-Royce. You will, of course, realise that it is a class of car of which I have had little or no experience, and I was anxious to obtain this experience in order that I might compare the performance with the Bentley which I now own, and its predecessors. The Phantom III is, of course, for my purpose too big, too expensive, both to purchase and to maintain. In spite of its size I was agreeably surprised at the way it handled, and the speed at which it could be driven round corners, in fact I think you have definitely laid the bogy that a fast car cannot be fitted with independent front wheel springing without seriously detracting from its road-holding properties. The springing is, of course, infinitely superior to the Bentley but I do not think it is any better than the average cheap american car, except from the view of stability. I was very impressed with the acceleration and the extreme smoothness of the engine. I found that entering a measured half mile at 20 miles an hour I finished at 82 miles an hour and it took 31 2/5 seconds to cover the distance, whereas the Bentley finishes at 85 and takes just over 32 seconds. Actually I think the speedometer on the Rolls was less optimistic than the one on the Bentley which may -1- | ||