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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).
Road test report on an Essex-Terraplane car, noting its sweet engine but bad ride control and body issues.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 21\6\  Scan076
Date  24th September 1932
  
V4217.
Mr/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} The Essex - Terraplane
Remarkable sweet running engine
- no periods - T.R. as low as 9 m.p.h in top gear + starts rattle at about 57 on 2nd. - more like valves bouncing on seats than master period. Seems out of range on top gear.
Performance for acceleration as good as Bentley. Speedy, but max. speed not attempted.
Riding & road control bad.
Bonnet concave customers putting up with this, do not consider makers would expect them to & that it is not up to standard, as some attention required. Positively dangerous to use brakes on uneven road at speed.
Fumes in body - passenger generally complain.
Flushing to rattle in drive bad at lower speeds - poor carburation.
RB{R. Bowen}
  
  


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