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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).
Policy document discussing future involvement in sporting and racing events.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 90a\2\  Scan184
Date  6th September 1934
  
-4- Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}3/MJ.6.9.34. Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary}

Future Policy as Regards Sporting Events.

We consider our future policy as regards sporting events will have to be laid down. Now that it has been demonstrated what this car can do it is inevitable that sporting drivers will wish to take part in these events.

Until the Ulster T.T. one might have said that the car is not designed or built for this purpose but having now demonstrated that the car will not only give the performance but also stands the best chance of winning we have got to define our policy. We cannot look upon this from a Rolls-Royce point of view. We have advertised and put forward the claims of the Bentley as distinct from R.R. as a sports car. The demand for Bentley cars has shown that there is a very definite market for such a car.

In the case of the Ulster T.T. the regulations were framed to cover a Standard Sports Model car. It was for that reason that we supported the proposition that we should assist E.R.Hall in this race. We have to try and visualise the picture supposing we had not supported this effort and the car had been run without our assistance. I think it is certain that the car would never have finished. Either the white metal big end bearings would have run out and smashed up the engine, or the engine would have been over-revved on the Standard gear ratios, reached the critical crankshaft speed and smashed up. If this had happened I think we should then have been forced to have taken the job seriously to demonstrate that we were at least as good as our competitors in this market. This follows the history of the Austrian Trials - J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} Radley entered a private car in 1912 absolutely failed to climb one of the hills, actually had to give up taking any further part in the contest, and turned round and went back. As we were at that time selling large numbers of cars on the Continent we had the next year to produce four specially designed cars and send out a Works team in order to clean up the job.

In reviewing the position one has not to consider so much the value if you win as how much loss to prestige there is if the cars fail. We have got to have an explanation that if the cars are entered privately and are beaten consistently (which they will be without our support) of how it is the Bentley Sports Car is not as good as other makes.

My own personal view is this - that we are making money out of the sports car business and we cannot avoid supporting certain sporting events. If we accept that as a policy it could be done without any interference with other work. If
  
  


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