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).
Page from 'The Autocar' magazine featuring reader correspondence on the performance and reliability of sports cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0294 | |
| Date | 21th March 1941 | |
| 262 The Autocar March 21st, 1941 Correspondence ever, only one quite short bit has been washed out by storms and this could be negotiated by a trials car with a good clearance. The lower slopes and the steepest section of the upper part are grassy, and some aid to wheel grip would be essential except in very dry weather. These defects in the road are rather unfortunate, because the bad parts are so comparatively short, and it would otherwise be an exceedingly fine climb, with an excellent hairpin on the upper slopes, while the view from the top is superb. Incidentally, the present track replaces an older one which had five hairpins and a rather steeper gradient, and would have been worthy of a place in any trial. I am afraid that this is a long letter about a somewhat ancient topic, but if any of your readers are aware of other possible roads leading to greater heights than those mentioned it would be interesting to hear of them for investigation when such expeditions again become possible. May I congratulate you on the very high standard of interest maintained in The Autocar? It is a considerable factor in maintaining “morale.” M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} SCOTT. Linlithgow. [The interest of the subject raised is increased in light of the coincidence of an article published in The Autocar of February 28th, entitled, “The Most Difficult Hill?” Tornapress, in Ross and Cromarty, was selected for the distinction, but gradients of “trials” character were excluded from consideration. As to our correspondent’s question, reference to a Bartholomew half-inch map, revised up to 1934, clearly shows a road taking the route he describes, and marked with a datum point at 2,391ft.—Ed.{J. L. Edwards}] And has any Bugatti ever proved the reliability of the marque by putting up a performance in any long-distance race to compare with the almost incredible history of the Bentleys at Le Mans? Several people have taken Mr. Lycett to task over the size of his car’s engine, but surely this is justified by the car’s ability to hold its own against the best of the foreigners, with the additional advantage of sustained reliability at high speed and great length of life, which I have never seen claimed for the Bugatti type of car. And surely when one is able to acquire a very expensive super-fast car a few extra litres of engine are not of paramount importance! I wonder if any of your readers have noticed the striking similarity between this correspondence and that memorable series of letters which appeared in The Autocar shortly after the 1930 Le Mans race. On that occasion about half the enthusiasts in the country tried in vain to prove that Caracciola’s Mercedes, which retired, was a better car than the Bentley that won, because the latter was one of a team of five and the Mercedes was a lone hand. But, strangely enough, it was the supercharged foreign car that had the larger engine then! WILLIAM S. HALL. Nottingham. Where the Choice of an Entirely Neutral Observer Would Fall [50040.]—I have been an interested reader of all the correspondence centring around Mr. Lycett’s 8-litre Bentley and Mr. Hampton’s Bugatti, culminating in a very lengthy letter [49985] from Mr. Hampton, who, since he imposed silence upon himself, evidently reached the point where he could no longer restrain himself. Of the relative merits of the two cars I am no judge, but I know that if it came to any contest between the two the Bentley would receive my backing, if for no other reason than that Mr. Lycett has never to my knowledge made an exaggerated claim for his car. Indeed, he has always been most modest, never straying into the realm of fancy and always keeping to precise facts. As for “Omega’s” [49974] remark that the Bentley is “an absurd machine, grossly over-engined, with an out-of-date chassis,” etc., I say that the Bentley, old as it is, with 70,000 miles to its credit, will still be running long after most modern cars have gone to the grave. I have seen most of the existing well-known sports cars in action at one time or another, and were I given a choice between them it would unquestionably fall on Mr. Lycett’s Bentley. I, for one, was sorry that the Bentley was not entered for the “Fastest Road Car” race at Brooklands, even though that race did not, and could not, prove the issue at stake. C. A.{Mr Adams} L. MEREDITH. Sutton, Surrey. “TALKING OF SPORTS CARS” Comparison Between Vintage and Modern [50038.]—As an old admirer of Mr. Lycett’s Bentley, I must confess that the figures revealed in your article (March 7th issue) on the “3½” and “4¼” T.T. Bentleys have, to my mind, dealt the prestige of the much-boosted 8-litre a shrewd blow that even the versatile Mr. Lycett can barely counter. I, amongst others, had come to regard the 8-litre as a vehicle in a class of its own as far as performance is concerned, and the figures claimed for it in comparison with Mr. C. W. P. Hampton’s Bugatti were, to me, disappointing. These latest revelations are little short of devastating. CHARLES MORTIMER. Weybridge, Surrey. Proved High-speed Reliability of the Bentley [50039.]—I think that comment (c) in Mr. C. W. P. Hampton’s letter [49985] is unfair to Mr. Lycett’s 8-litre Bentley. He states that “the date of birth, 1931, bears little relation to the car to-day;” this is obviously untrue. He then goes on to say that his Bugatti was designed in 1933 anyway, thus cleverly insinuating that it is not so much younger than its rival after all, whereas if it comes to the point the 8-litre was designed in 1929, and even then was virtually only an enlargement of the famous Speed Six. Incidentally, I believe that, given equality in the matter of weight, tuning, etc., the 6½-litre Bentley would give a performance equal to the 8-litre’s, or very nearly so. Can anyone verify this opinion? Does Mr. Hampton really believe that his car will still be giving its admittedly phenomenal performance when it has as many years of high speed motoring to its credit as Mr. Lycett’s Bentley has? SUMMARY OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR £5.—Mr. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} C. Blackham, London, S.W., wishes to obtain an 8 h.p. M.G. Midget for not more than £5. ALTERNATIVE ENGINE.—Mr. F.{Mr Friese} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Dickinson, of Poynton, Cheshire, who wishes to replace the engine of a 1936 15.7 h.p. Marendaz Special with a 12 h.p. unit, would welcome advice as to a make of engine which could be fitted. FRAZER NASHES.—“D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer},” Bisley, nr. Stroud, seeks information with regard to the history of two T.T. Replica Frazer Nash models, both first registered in 1933, their registration numbers being AHX 389 and AMF 453. BOOKS for MOTORISTS Issued in conjunction with “THE AUTOCAR” The Autocar Handbook ... 3/- ... 3/5 The Autocar Guide for the “L” Driver ... 1/- ... 1/2 Look After Your Car... ... 2/6 ... 2/9 The Motor Vehicle ... 10/6 ... 11/1 Know Your Car ... 1/6 ... 1/8 Motor Driving Made Easy ... 2/6 ... 2/10 More Sketches by Casque ... 2/- ... 2/3 Automobile Electrical Equipment ... 10/6 ... 11/1 The Modern Diesel ... 3/6 ... 3/11 The Autocar Register ... 3/- ... 3/5 By P. M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Heldt, U.S.A. : High Speed Combustion Engines ... 42/- ... 42/7 Motor Vehicles and Tractors ... 42/- ... 42/7 Fuels and Carburettors ... 18/- ... 18/7 High Speed Diesel Engines ... 27/- ... 27/7 Full particulars of any of the above books will be sent on application. Obtainable from Leading Booksellers and Railway Bookstalls or direct (remittance with order) from ILIFFE & SONS LTD., Dorset House, Stamford Street, London, S.E.1 B20 | ||