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).
Customer complaint letter to Bentley Motors regarding unsatisfactory braking performance on a 4¼-litre Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\4\ scan0068 | |
| Date | 26th May 1937 | |
| COPY 20, Fenchurch Street, London, E.C.3. 26th May 1937. Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd., 16, Conduit Street, W.1. Dear Sirs, 4¼-litre Bentley chassis No. B.186.GA. You will perhaps remember that when originally ordering my car I was anxious that you should specially adjust the brakes for me so that the braking should be evenly distributed over the four wheels (my letter of the 10th March 1936). Your reply was: "The ratio of the braking to the front and rear wheels is now approximately equal and our Technical Department suggest you will find the standard arrangement, which has been decided upon after much experiment, will give you what you want." (your letter of the 24th March 1936). After one year's experience with the car I am sorry to have to tell you that I am still very dissatisfied with my brakes, my criticism being (to use the exact words that I used on the 1st April 1932 when writing to Major Cox a report on the then latest model of Rolls-Royce) "That when suddenly applied in an emergency.... the larger retardation of the back wheels causes these to lock and the car to skid if the conditions are at all skiddy." The truth is that the brakes do not give me the confidence to enable me to make use of the excellent speed and road-holding propensities of the car. Further the power of the brakes when the car is moving backwards is quite inadequate and when manœvring on steep hills it has given me some awkward moments. Incidentally I have just had to scrap my back tyres the tread having been entirely worn off in a mere 6,000 miles, whilst the front tyres show negligable wear. I do not habitually indulge in fierce power acceleration! I should be glad to know whether you can make an adjustment to the brakes of my car on the lines that I require. I think it a great pity that you do not drop the present servo mechanism altogether in favour of a | ||