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 and critique of a car's features, including suspension, gear lever, interior space, visibility, and engine performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 97\1\ scan0227 | |
| Date | 10th October 1938 | |
| - 2 - Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}1/KW10.10.38. to strengthen the shock absorbers at all from the 'soft' position, which seemed to me to be adequately hard enough for all conditions under which I drove the car on the Great North road. I think it wants to go softer when the lever is in the 'soft' position. The position of the gear lever is open to criticism, but I understand that it is intended to set it further back rather like the P.III. That would remove my criticism and leave the entrance free. The rear floor I thought was too high, and actually sitting in the back of the car one was less comfortable than in the present car with wells. I admit the entrance is easy, but once in the benefit is lost. I feel that the rear floor must be lower even if the tunnel in the middle is higher. We could accept the tunnel effect because it does not interfere with one's comfort. I thought the visibility from the driving seat was inferior to the present standard. The bonnet seemed higher and more massive, the front wings seemed to have gone down and have disappeared from sight. I think this is a great pity on a fast car. Also, the wheels seem to have the appearance of something special. I know we have been asking for disc wheels but they have been turned down in favour of discs on wire wheels. The discs on this car in my view do not look nearly as nice as the ones I was shown by Gry{Shadwell Grylls} in the Experimental Dept. which were offered up on a car there. Summing up, my feeling is that if this engine represents the best power output we can get we shall need to make it about 4 1/2 litres in order to get the performance which I think this car ought to have, and I have in mind that it should at least reach 100 m.p.h. under normally favourable conditions. P.S. Bly{B. W. Bleaney - Bentley Sales} agrees with the above. * I am assuming that there is only one set of overdrive gearbox ratios, namely as set out in Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry{Shadwell Grylls}6/R7938. Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} | ||