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 Series 40 Buick.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 124\3\ scan0308 | |
| Date | 26th November 1934 | |
| COPY. X3317 Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} c. to C. Dictated 26.11.34. Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}1/KW.27.11.34. Re Series 40 Buick. I took the opportunity of trying this car over the week-end, as neither you nor C. were proposing to use it, in order to form some impressions of it. The car has independent front wheel suspension, and so far as soft riding goes it seemed to me to be very good. I could however not detect the action of any shock dampers, and I think that the system of suspension as fitted to this car suffers badly from want of control by the driver, for, whilst it is delightful going slowly, it is a very unstable car going fast. This, coupled with the extraordinarily low geared steering made the car at times, in my view, almost dangerous if driven at high speeds. I think this is the lowest geared steering I have ever used, and one has to be very active and very quick with the steering wheel when turning corners or manoeuvring through traffic at anything except slow speeds. A special notice was stuck on the window of the car saying that the Series 40 model tyre pressures should be kept at 26 lbs. This of course is very low and doubtless contributes to the good riding. The engine was beautifully silent, free from vibration and very lively. The acceleration was easily its most attractive feature and emphasized the importance of a high power weight ratio. I should imagine that this car was very light in its total weight. It gave me that impression. I should say that the acceleration up to possibly 60, or probably even to 70, was faster than anything we have ever turned out. I noticed particularly that its response to the acceleration pedal was immediate and very definite. The "getaway" in traffic on second gear was quite phenomenal, and will probably do more to sell these or similar cars than any other point about it. | ||