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).
Feedback on a 3 1/2 Litre Bentley, detailing issues with the clutch, wing brackets, and springing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\1\ scan0022 | |
| Date | 29th January 1934 | |
| TELEGRAMS: SUMMERS, CHESTER. TELEPHONE 200 CONNAH'S QUAY. (10 LINES) JOHN SUMMERS & SONS, LIMITED. Hawarden Bridge Steel Works, Shotton, Chester. X7961 MANUFACTURERS OF GALVANIZED, CORRUGATED AND PLAIN STEEL SHEETS, &C. LONDON OFFICE: 34 LIME STREET, E.C. GLOBE IRON WORKS, STALYBRIDGE. LIVERPOOL OFFICE: 14 CHAPEL STREET. MANCHESTER OFFICE: 33 BRAZENNOSE STREET. ALL QUOTATIONS UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ARE SUBJECT TO REPLY BY RETURN OF POST. REFERENCE E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives Esq., Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd. (Expl. Dept.) Derby. 29/1/34. Dear Mr. Hives, 3 1/2 LITRE BENTLEY. Your Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}12/MJ of the 26th. inst. It was very kind of you to write to me, and enquire after the Bentley. I collected it last Wednesday, and I have already covered quite a distance on the car. It was my intention to write my impressions after I had had time to get used to the car and it's ways. On the whole, I am extremely pleased with it, and I think that it undoubtedly shows a very great advance in fast motoring. There are, however, one or two features about the car which are not as they should be.- 1. The clutch is not very sweet when getting away from rest; and there is a sort of clicking noise in it if one picks up from about 10 miles an hour, on second gear. 2. There is, to my mind, too much movement on the front wings and headlamps. On a bad road they flap rather badly. It would appear to be due to the fact that the wing brackets are too weak. The fact that the radiator is absolutely steady shows up the wings and the lamps very badly. 3. I do not consider that the springing is as good as either of the two cars I have tried previously - definitely nothing like as good as the open car which Mr. Robotham brought up in October. It is what I call pretty fidgetty when running slowly, but on the other hand if you drive fast over a rough road there is very considerable movement. | ||