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).
Magazine article from 'The Autocar' reporting on a motor race and the performance of various cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\1\ Scan035 | |
| Date | 7th September 1934 | |
| The Autocar, September 7th, 1934. 423 ON BY 17 SECONDS Struggle : Aston Martin Third. Good Weather, Big Crowds, No Serious Accidents. Gain Team Prize. which perhaps the technically minded will alone appreciate, was that only 50 per cent. of pure benzole could be used in the fuel, which otherwise must be of a type generally commercially obtainable, thus limiting the compression ratio. So much for the cars. The circuit upon which they were to race measured 13 2/3 miles in length, and had to be covered thirty-five times by the scratch cars. The race was run under a form of handicap, so that according to their engine capacity some cars received a time allowance at the start, others a time allowance as well as one or more "credit" laps. Thus, although the bigger cars had to cover thirty-five laps, or 478 miles, the smallest car in the race had only thirty-two laps to complete, and others had thirty-three or thirty-four, according to their engine size, as well as a certain time allowance one from another. For the first time this year the R.A.C. allowed separate handicaps for certain sub-divisions of engine size within the International Classes. All this is necessary to get an idea of the start of the race, which, after all, was the least impressive part about it. The cars were lined up diagonally in front of the pits, drivers seated, engines still. It is unfortunate that with a handicap event cars should have to start off in groups, for none who has watched it can deny the thrill of a mass start. The credit lap system also complicated the affair, for it was not the slowest cars that set the ball rolling at 11 a.m., but, as it turned out, some of the fastest, the redoubtable group of six 1,287 c.c. M.G. Magnettes, running now in unsupercharged form in their first big road race. They had thirty-four laps to cover, and were followed after 2m. 16s. by the rest of the 1,500 c.c. class, four Frazer Nashes, three Aston Martins, three Singers, and two Rileys. Then, after another three minutes, the actual limit car of the race started off, Hodge's 9 h.p. Singer, with thirty-two laps to cover; the only non-starter out of the forty-one cars entered was Morgan's Singer of similar capacity. Another half a minute elapsed, and the two black Talbots set out for their thirty-five laps, the full distance, and then, after two minutes, the big class roared away from the pits, providing the only real excitement of the long drawn out start with an acceleration battle between the three red 4 1/2-litre Lagondas, beautifully turned out, and also running in their first road race, the three V8 Fords, newcomers to racing in these islands, and cheered on as their [Image Caption 1] passing one of the Aston Martins which secured the team prize and also third place. [Image Caption 2] E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Hall, entrant and driver of the new Bentley, which finished second. 67 | ||