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 report analyzing a vehicle's gear, brakes, general performance, and speedometer accuracy.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 128\1\ scan0062 | |
| Date | 1st October 1929 guessed | |
| -3- to be appreciating at last. These latter probably account in a measure for the good steering. GEAR-BOX. This has a good silent second. BRAKES. Hydraulic, direct acting. The effort to stop the car is excessive but given the strength, it can be accomplished. GENERAL ROAD PERFORMANCE. The gear ratio was, by rev. counter, 900 engine revs. at 20 M.P.H. though we were told the axle ratio was 4-1 and 20" wheels were fitted. There was no torque reaction, as the slow speed M.E.P. is obviously low. We compared the top gear acceleration with 14-EX car. Up to 50 M.P.H. in spite of the advantage in weight and gear ratio of the Duesenburg, there was very little to choose between the two cars. Above that speed 14-EX was rapidly left behind. Allowing for the low windage of the Duesenburg we should still say they have done well with their power output judging by their high speed acceleration. We should not put the maximum speed of the car we tried higher than 85-90 M.P.H. Clearly they cannot have the horse power they claim available. The speedometer on the car was most ingenious. At 40 M.P.H. we checked it to be 24 M.P.H. fast. At 60 M.P.H. ten miles an hour fast. Olley confirms that this is almost standard American practice. The engine detonated very | ||