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 issues and testing results for several vehicles, including a Bentley and a Dubonnet car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\1\ Scan155 | |
| Date | 19th November 1934 | |
| To: "Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}". Nº 2. The worst car, however, for lamp and wing movement is B-116-BL, belonging to Mr Hauvette (Michelin Cº), fitted with an Enclosed (Park Ward type) Saloon by Binder, which is simply terrible! In fact, the movement is such that after about 2000 Ks I should think the wings would be ready to drop off. It would be very interesting indeed to test this bumper-bar on the above car, as sooner or later we shall have to do something for this gentleman, as he has already complained and is still complaining about the excessive lamp and wing movement on his car, which is quite justified. What is happening to [E.R.Hall - crossed out]? He wrote me some time ago telling me he was contemplating entering for several events with his car, but since then I have had no further news from him. The Dubonnet car is certainly vastly improved as regards the springing in the front seats, and eliminated any tendency to pitch. When I tried the car, however, it was not right for several reasons of course. The steering had lost all its selectivity, and the car took quite a lot of "getting out of the gutter". Owing to the fact that one had to pull on the steering, the sensation created was that of having a shock absorber attached to the cross-steering tube, which was very disagreeable, and probably due to the lean of the pivots. [Of course - crossed out] there is no doubt that the steering is too self-centering at the present time. The spring[ing - handwritten] in the back seats is improved, but nothing to write to [the - handwritten] papers about, and Mr Dubonnet agrees that if one is to get the full advantages out of his system, it should be fitted to four independent wheels! Finally, you will be pleased to hear that the old Bentley is still keeping up its reputation over here, having recently been called upon to perform against a 5 litre Super-charged Bugatti on time, and I succeeded in covering 120 Kms between PARIS and ORLEANS in 1 hour 4 mins, which is an average of [112 - crossed out] kms per hour. I covered the 150 kms between Paris and La{L. A. Archer} Motte Beuvran in 1 hour 29 mins 2/5ths, which is an average of [100 - crossed out] kms per hour. [His - handwritten] best time for the 150 kms was 1 hour [47 - crossed out] mins, which works out to about [98.5 - crossed out] per hour over that distance.!! Please excuse the length of this memo. Cheerio. "S[signature]" | ||