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).
Article from 'The Autocar' magazine reviewing a Bentley car, detailing its performance, handling, and features.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0023 | |
| Date | 1st November 1940 | |
| 438 The Autocar November 1st, 1940. [Image 1 Caption] The distributor is now line-driven with dynamo and water pump. [Image 2 Caption] Instrument layout and steering-wheel controls. [Image 3 Caption] A clean tail shape. [Right Column Text] tions or load carried. The response to this is positive, for it overrides a pump driven from the gear box, which provides more or less hydraulic pressure according to the needs of the moment. The car floats over any sudden deterioration of surface represented by a piece of newly repaired road, for instance, and takes wavy surfaces with scarcely a tremor. The steering is lower geared and still lighter, but has lost nothing in accuracy. If components can be singled out, it is the steering and the mechanical-servo brakes that give the Bentley much of its exceptional quality. In every set of conditions the driver feels that he is in exact control; it is steering that is never tiring and they are brakes that answer with exact regularity to a light pedal pressure. It is unquestionably one of the easiest of cars to thread in and out of dense traffic or to turn round in a comparatively limited space. As to engine behaviour and performance, it was not possible to extend the machine to the fullest extent, but one knows that there is speed in reserve for the veriest glutton in this direction, and—almost to the limit one speed is as easy and effortless as another. As ever with the Bentley, remarkable averages are obtained without even exceeding 60 m.p.h., such are the acceleration after slowing down and the hill-climbing. In other words, it maintains an exceptionally consistent pace almost regardless of conditions. In no car does one feel happier when faced with an awkward route, necessarily having one eye on the clock in these stressed times, for it will reach the destination more quickly than almost any other, and be a pleasure to the driver into the bargain. [Image of twin ignition coils] Twin ignition coils, one of them in reserve, and latest type external oil cleaner. The overdrive type of gear box is, of course, retained, providing direct drive on third speed and the very high ratio of 3.64 to 1 on fourth speed, which is an indirect gear. There is no automatic changing from one ratio to another, as the term overdrive might suggest. The intention is that direct drive shall be utilised in traffic and for rapidly picking up to the cruising rate. About 3,800 r.p.m.—in excess of 75 m.p.h.—is the usefully employed limit on this gear, and then the overdrive ratio is available for fast cruising at reduced engine revs and, therefore, with maximum economy. Flexibility on a High Ratio It is the strongest tribute to the flexibility of the 29.4 h.p. six-cylinder overhead engine that actually it is possible to use the indirect gear in traffic down to quite low speeds while retaining a more than reasonable degree of acceleration, and without the slightest trace of the engine working hard when the throttle pedal is put down again. As an extreme test on this ratio, the speed was allowed to fall to 10 m.p.h. and the throttle pedal was then sharply depressed. The response was instant, but to have used third speed would, of course, have given more rapid acceleration, and its use for this purpose is intended. Even in these circumstances there was no pinking, and this applied throughout the driving of the car in spite of the elimination on this new model of the ignition control lever on the steering wheel—an omission justified by the automatic control provided in the coil ignition distributor. The engine is now more flexibly mounted. Quite apart from the way in which the car sweeps over the lesser gradients as though they were non-existent, particular observation was made of the hill-climbing power up | ||