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).
Article from 'The Autocar' magazine detailing a high-speed continental tour with two 4¼-litre Bentleys.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\3\ scan0262 | |
| Date | 17th February 1939 | |
| 260 The Autocar, February 17th, 1939 file not by guy TOURING at 100 M.P.H.! (Above) The two Bentleys at Metz, France. (Left) In Ulm S. Germany. LAST week The Autocar gave readers something in the nature of a strong apéritif by publishing in the Photogravure section some preliminary pictures of an outstanding car, tests of which I have been observing on the Continent. The car in question is the prototype of an additional model to the 4¼-litre Bentley range. In brief, its performance includes cruising speeds up to 110 m.p.h., a maximum speed approaching 120 m.p.h., a most economical petrol consumption (I need only mention now the figure of over 20 m.p.g. at 80 m.p.h.), and Bentley standards of silence and road-holding. With these appetising reminders I will describe our run across France and Germany from its starting point in Paris. It was a spring-like, sunny day as we assembled outside the Rolls-Royce showrooms in the Avenue George Cinq. Not unnaturally, with the prospect of a Continental tour in such weather, the party was in good spirits, and after a cheerful send-off from a gathering of French Press men, including the great Faroux, of L'Auto, we left about midday. As usual, the fast "fly-under" tunnel cross-ings which now ring Paris were a source of wonder to those in the party who had not seen them before, and we halted not far beyond the gate of Paris to fill up with standard Azur (which has about the highest octane value of French fuels) in preparation for the long drive ahead. Two Cars Taken Snow in the mountains near Wiezenstein. The "autobahn" becomes a single track here. Two 4¼-litre Bentleys were taken, a standard chassis fitted with a four-door pillarless saloon and the special streamlined car which we were going to test not only for its general practicability for Continental touring, but for its performance capabilities on the German autobahnen, which lie only just across the French border. These roads have received much publicity, but deservedly so, for they form one of the few places where such a car as this streamlined Bentley can be tried at its maximum speed in safety. Both cars have French-built bodies, the four-door saloon being by Vanvooren and the two-door by Paulin. Although we did not really leave Paris until 12.29 p.m., the streamlined car was in La{L. A. Archer} Ferté, thirty-eight miles away, by 1.10 p.m. This represents an average speed of 55 m.p.h., maintained, as I will vouch for, as an ordinary matter of course with every consideration for the various small towns along the straight, flat roads leading eastwards across the French plain from Paris. Tucked away down a side road to the left of the main road through La{L. A. Archer} Ferté-sous-Jouarre is the Hôtel de l'Ep{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}ée, where we paused for lunch. A 46 | ||