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).
Test drive report and impressions of a 6.5 litre Speed Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 21\2\ Scan068 | |
| Date | 22th March 1929 | |
| COPY. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}6/M/22.3.29. Re: 6½ litre Speed Bentley. Without seeking it, the opportunity of driving one of the above was given me yesterday, and I readily accepted it. I felt it would hardly be fair to put the car through a number of tests, as I would have done had I been alone in it, so I simply drove it as if I was driving a Rolls, and formed impressions accordingly. I must say I was agreeably impressed with the performance. I pushed it up to 82 mph. without any sign of effort on the part of the car, and the silence of the engine and its smoothness were remarkably good. There was certainly an atmosphere of R.R. about it. Its brakes were good, but there seemed a tendency for them to pull to the nearside, but this may be due to a local fault and not an inherent fault of design. The clutch was uncomfortably heavy and tiring to drive where one had continual traffic stops. The steering I found extremely good - light, self-centring, steady, with a wheel appreciably larger in diameter than ours. The steering seemed more direct than ours - i.e. a little less 'spongy'. The springing I found to be excellent for high speed work but as I was sitting in the front seat, I could not appreciate it from the point of view of those sitting in the back, but I believe you sat in the back on the way to Maidstone in this car. I was particularly anxious to see its behaviour in ordinary traffic work and I could find little fault with it in its docility and easy handling. The second and third gears were, I should say, not as silent as ours, neither is the engine when idling, but when pulling, I must say I found it practically inaudible. The front seat became insufferably hot and I felt almost ill when I got to Conduit Street. Whether it was due to heat or fumes, I cannot say, but from the moment I took the wheel I noticed a most peculiar oppressiveness | ||