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).
Driver's report detailing the performance and issues of a car during a long-distance test drive.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 46\2\ Scan401 | |
| Date | 17th August 1922 | |
| Th/C Copy for W re G/7/11 Th4/229 Aug 17 1922 I took this car over on Sunday morning Aug 6 at a mileage of 10498 and finished late on Tuesday Aug 15 at 12530 thus covering a total mileage, after addition of 5 % of 1944 miles. The car was under repairs several days till noon or nearly noon or the distance covered would have been greater. Petrol consumption was Litres 424(about 93 Gals) or Miles 20.9 to the gallon. Temperature ran about 70° to 75° but on cold days dropped to 55°. I ran at about 42 MPH most of the time except when the surface was excessively bad and my maximum speed was 53 MPH by speedometer to which I presume must be added the 5 %. The car holds the road well with a slight tendency to sway round corners probably due to the high body. At high speed round corners there is a tendency to a sideway jump of the rear wheels. On two occasions I touched at the back, once on striking a sharp rise in the road and another time when going from stone sets to macadam road. I very frequently touched in front my hear front spring being on the weak side. The most favorable position for the gas lever seemed to be about two notches from center towards weak and it was in this position that I found the car climbed best. On one occasion on the last bend of the very steep hill out of Boulogne my inside wheel raced a good deal - I was in second speed. It is a hill I used to take in second on a box Daimler during the war. There were very few hills I had to take on second. I had trouble with the oil pipe breaking close to the pump. This oil pipe is rather long and seems to me to require intermediate support or a coil to minimise chance of breakage. The thermometer gave no previous indication of the fact that the engine was draining itself dry and my attention was attracted to trouble by chatter in the engine. The noisiness of the body makes it difficult to detect slight engine noises. The water connection from engine to radiator came adrift owing to bad roads - the rubber connections are much too short at this point. | ||