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).
Body weight specifications and spring settings for the 3.5 Litre Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\1\ scan0129 | |
| Date | 24th May 1933 | |
| W/B (O). c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X204 BY.5/C. 24.5.33. 3½ LITRE BENTLEY. ---------- We understand from the Experimental Dept. that there is a doubt as to whether the bodies on future Bentley cars will be kept within the weights of the first three experimental cars, owing to the fact that apparently our policy has changed and bodies which originally were intended to be made at one or two coachbuilders only under our supervision are now to be left as an open proposition, so that each coachbuilder will apparently build his own type of body. This being so, we cannot, of course, specify our rear springs, as these will have to be made to suit the body weights. The present standard springs are :- Front - 650 lbs. Rear - 800 lbs. The issue could be met if :- (a). We are informed that bodies will be kept within the weights - an instruction being issued to the coach-builder as to what the maximum weight must be or (b). The coachbuilders are informed that the increase of weight over our present standard would be limited to say 50 or 100 lbs. as obviously the performance of the car would be seriously handicapped if body weights are allowed to rise. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||