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).
Performance comparison and driving impression report on the Peregrine car model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179b\2\ img204 | |
| Date | 15th December 1932 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} War. c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} Hdy.{William Hardy} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}7/WJ.15.12.32. X4087. Re. Peregrine. We think we may have given the impression that the general performance of the Peregrine would be equal to the present 20/25 HP. car, and this naturally would cause some anxiety as regards how it would effect the 25 HP. sales. We have had further experience now and are in a better position to judge the probable performance of Peregrine. G.W.Hancock, in France, who has had unique experience as regards being able to arrive at a relative value for the different cars, reports as follows :- "It is very easy to get a wrong impression of the car's performance. For instance, a run from here to Paris on a good day the speedometer goes up to 70 M.P.H. readily and a good average speed is maintained with two people in the car, but take the car into a hilly district around Limoges and Montluim the speed drops to 40 M.P.H. and you can use your gears for all you are worth, damned hard driving, and you cannot get a vestige more out of it. Very slight incline and down goes the speed to 50 and no more can be got. It gives the impression that there is no reserve of power. This car with a speed of 70 M.P.H. on the level has only an average performance. Unless the Firm realises this there will be a lot of dissatisfied owners, there will not be a car of this class that will not do 65 to 70 M.P.H.". We agree with Hancock's remarks that although the top speed of the Peregrine may equal the 20/25 HP. it will never give the same, all-round performance. The present 20/25 suffers from the fact that the power falls very rapidly at high speed compared with the Peregrine, but as soon as the engine speed is reduced the torque increases and therefore the car does not fall away so rapidly in performance as the Peregrine. To get the performance out of the Peregrine it is necessary to keep the engine revs. high the whole time, which means there is a lot more work driving the car to get the performance. All cars with small engines have this characteristic. For luxury of travel the 40/50 car will always be on top. In the same way the 20/25 HP. will always give more luxury than the Peregrine. The chief joy of the Peregrine is in driving it. | ||