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).
Report discussing the worst features on Bentley cars, specifically fading brakes and increased weight.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 30\1\ Scan136 | |
| Date | 11th March 1935 | |
| -3- Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/7/KW.11.3.35. (5) Worst Features on Bentley Cars. (a) Fading Brakes. We think that either the Quarterly Complaint List is useless or it is wrong for fading brakes to take the position of being the worst complaint on Bentley cars, because there is no record of a single customer having made this complaint in the Quarterly List. In our experience we do not consider that it is a defect which can possibly be experienced by the average customer, and if we are not careful we shall add a lot of weight to the car to no purpose in an endeavour to overcome the objections of people who drive the cars as if they were racing. (b) Performance in view of Increased Weight. We have issued a report in which we have shown that we have now available with the high compression head and Aerolite Pistons 20 more H.P. than the Bentley at present being sold to the public. This is available in cases of complaint, the Standardisation Sheet having been completed. We consider that it could with advantage be standardised for the Continental cars. With regard to weight, we have already pointed out that we are adding quite a substantial mass to the car with 14" drums, which we do not consider is justified. On the other hand, by a number of small features we have managed to save about 50 lbs. on 5-B-IV. This brings the chassis weight back to where it originally was, details being given in Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/KW.8.3.35. | ||