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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).
Arguing for engineering to handle press runs and verify speed claims for a Bentley B.V. model.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 160\5\  scan0088
Date  22th December 1940
  
Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}

Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/ML.22.12.40.

BENTLEY PUBLICITY.

17.12.40. confirms my opinion that Press runs that are of a semi-technical nature, should be handled by the Engineering and not the Sales Department.

We have never seen the B.V. Trials Car, but suggest that Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} cannot produce a calibration of its speedometer on the road.

As a point of interest, we should like to know if this was checked on the car before and after the Press runs.

Remarks such as :
" The speedometer just struggled up to 90, which, we suggest, is about a true 86 m.p.h. - "

insult the intelligence of the people to whom they are addressed.

It will be observed that in the whole of this Memo. there is not a single figure relating to the maximum speed of the B.V. that has been obtained with a stop-watch.

In conclusion, the maximum speed of a car is one of its few attributes which can be measured and as such, is not a matter of opinion.

There is therefore no justification for allowing a statement to appear in the Press (particularly about a new model) that is demonstrably incorrect.

A great deal of industry and care has been put into the evolution of B.V.; surely a Press demonstration merits the same care being taken, to ensure that the public get a true picture of the merits of the car.

We are prepared to demonstrate the maximum road speed of the B.V. to Pomeroy ourselves.

Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}
  
  


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