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 critique of a car's performance, handling, and design following a 300-mile run.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 3\4\ 04-page326 | |
| Date | 8th June 1933 | |
| COPY Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}..from PN.{Mr Northey} Copy to C. PN.{Mr Northey}1/WT8.6.33. R.H. I ran this car during the Whitsun week-end, nearly 300 miles, and my impression is generally that it is the most delightful Rolls-Royce car in all important respects that I have ever handled, but I found myself wondering whether its claim to be a "sports" model was justified, other than by its comparative lowness and lightness. I feel that probably the two most important characteristics of a "sports" car, especially one having an engine of about 3½ litres displacement should be a striking top speed performance and a steering stability at high speeds, coupled with considerable selectivity. Now this car fails in respect of both these features. I was unable to run at a higher speed than 63 m.p.h. under the most favourable circumstances, and I found the steering tended to wander at the higher speeds in a manner which was entirely unsatisfactory. On the other hand the acceleration up to 70 m.p.h. or 75 m.p.h. was extremely good, and also the steering at these slower speeds had nothing to be complained of. It must be remembered that all speeds were judged by the speedometer. We shall be able, on Friday next when meeting at Brooklands, to confirm and check over the readings of the instrument fitted. The whole car is very attractive to look at and the body accommodation is wonderfully good, even I, with my great length of leg would have found the driver's seat reasonably comfortable were it not for the entirely unnecessarily long gear lever, which incidentally almost fouls the instrument-board in the 'forward' position and may pinch ones fingers and tends to bruise ones leg badly in the top-gear position. This can, and I take it will be, easily prevented by reducing its height by at least 1½" and cutting shorter that irritating long push-button at the top of the lever. The gearbox is very good, the second-gear is almost as silent as the third. | ||