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).
Road test article titled 'Trial By Jury' from 'The Motor' magazine, reviewing a Lagonda car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\1\ img086 | |
| Date | 18th September 1940 | |
| The Motor 142 September 18, 1940. Contd. Trial By Jury PRACTICAL FEATURES. This view shows well the luggage accommodation, the twin filler caps to the 20-gallon rear tank and the dummy spare wheel cover on the near side which encloses the hydraulic jack mechanism and tools. a tremendous speed without skidding, but if the limits of adhesion are exceeded one is much nearer to being completely out of control. Clutton put it very well when he said that the older-type car demands skill from the driver whereas the modern, as exemplified well by Lagonda, needs more calculated judgment. When Anthony Heal took the wheel his judgment was such that, bearing in mind the nature of the roads, we agreed that none of us had before travelled quite so fast with so complete a feeling of security. He used second and third gear freely, resulting in even more improbable speeds in unlikely places for, handled in this way, only about 15 secs. are needed to advance from 30 m.p.h. to 80 m.p.h. Let me give an example of what this means. If an ordinary motorist emerges from a built-up area and accelerates on top gear from 30 m.p.h. for 15 secs., he will reach approximately 45 m.p.h. The Lagonda will, in the same time, reach 80 m.p.h. Obviously the acceleration and correspondingly high speed of this car would be a very real public danger if it was not magnificently braked, and on a car of this type, be it remembered, much more is demanded of the stoppers than a snap high reading on the Tapley meter from 30 m.p.h. I have vivid memories of a famous British car which needed the whole of a 30-ft. road when the brakes were applied at 70 m.p.h.; and on an American car, which is a household word, the 50 miles on English by-roads made it necessary to stand up and put the whole of one's weight on the pedal if there was to be any appreciable retardation. The Lockheed brakes on the Lagonda are wholly free from these defects. They are so smooth that the passenger is never aware that the car is being rapidly stopped, yet so sure in action that 80-90 m.p.h. is a really usable road speed. The views of this "juryman" regarding the steering were that the comparative low gear was made quite safe by the strong castor and the very quick return action, but this, at the same time, made the steering rather heavy on full lock. That is to say, the car has to be definitely placed on a severe bend with a fairly strong arm, and cannot be flicked around a corner by a motion of the wrist in the manner possible with some sports cars. Heal, I must say, used all the virtues of the Lagonda to the limit, and the result was a cross-country journey which can have been rarely equalled for speed; the only thrill was when a hedge-hopping Air-speed Envoy Trainer flashed across the road in front of us at about 15 ft. from the ground at what appeared to be about 200 m.p.h. Handling on Wet Roads For the last 20 miles or so I took over the wheel again myself and, driving in the rain and despite the greasiness of the roads, I found the normal cruising speed of four times the old legal limit could be quite safely maintained, one or two minor slides being checked with consummate ease. But let me end by speaking of some other matters, for there is a danger that a company of high-speed enthusiasts will overlook certain merits in a car which may yet be as outstanding as its sheer performance. First, it has extraordinary tractability and flexibility; it will perambulate along in top gear at less than 10 m.p.h. and can be given wide open throttle even on "pool" petrol without a trace of pinking and with no indication from the engine that full torque is being exerted. In this slow speed pottering, the mechanical quietness of the engine is worthy of comment, particularly because many miles on full throttle have not the slightest adverse effect. Turning from mechanical matters to appearance and bodywork, one finds a driving position has been clearly planned by an expert, as one would expect with W. O.{Mr Oldham} Bentley responsible for the car. The bonnet slopes down and both wings are clearly in view. The steering wheel comes exactly where one would wish, and the back of the front seat is adjustable for rake; this, of course, being additional to the usual sliding adjustment. The appearance is a fine blend of restraint and impressiveness. The long, flowing wings, long bonnet and deep radiator contribute to the latter quality, the lowness of the car and an entire absence of the florid in decoration emphasize the former virtue. Finally, it would be insincere and detract from the value of this trial by jury to leave out all criticism. It was, for instance, felt that the flexible rear springs allowed the rear axle to wind up somewhat when accelerating hard, and this could be felt and heard by the rear passengers. Secondly, and bearing in mind that wide changes in the speed of the car are indicated not so much by physical impressions as by the readings on the instruments, these could, with advantage, be placed nearer to the driver's line of sight. As a detail refinement, it would look nicer if the speedometer and tachometer needles moved in the same direction instead of with opposite hands, as they do now. Thirdly, a car of this type brings the problem of wind noise to the fore to an unusual extent. The Lagonda body may be normal in this respect, but the speeds at which it is pulled through the air by its 180 b.h.p. engine are thoroughly abnormal. In consequence, the silence of the mechanism is largely offset at, say, 80 m.p.h. by the roar of air sweeping round the windows. The sound can be cut down by keeping all the windows shut, but this course is not one always favoured by other drivers or passengers, and clearly the matter needs, and would well repay, intensive research. The perfect car is not yet with us, but this Bentley-designed Lagonda V12, in the opinion of four very experienced motorists, approaches perfection. | ||