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).
Trial run report and comparison of a Thrupp & Maberly bodied Alvis Speed Twenty saloon.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179b\1\ img214 | |
| Date | 7th December 1932 | |
| ORIGINAL TO PLCM IV. COPY TO MR. H.S. EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}2/7.12.32. X4483 X4627 THRUPP & MABERLY POUR TOUR SALOON. ALVIS SPEED TWENTY. ----- I was able to have a trial run on one of the above cars. It was not known that I am connected with this Company or any motor company. I was supposed to be buying the car. Unfortunately it was pouring with rain and the chassis was brand new. The appearance of the car is striking and yet extremely elegant. Our S.3. body I think has all the good features of the Alvis and has some more that it has not got such as (a) a light looking eddy-free front. (b) the rear spare wheel recessed into the panel and covered in. (c) a shaped boot at the rear curving to blend with the rear wings. The room for the legs in the T & M body is very cramped and is not to be compared with ours. We have 3ins. more room between the dash and the rear axle and this is of great value to the legroom and the facility of getting in and out of the rear compartment. The roof trimming was cut up between the sticks over the rear seat so as to give increased headroom. In the past we have considered this to be undesirable as it spoils the clean finish. We might consider it, I think on this car. The slope of the steering wheel I consider much better than ours. The Alvis wheel is much more nearly vertical. The body looks heavy but as far as Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} and I can make out it must weigh from 5.5 to 6. cwt. As compared with the one by Park Ward it should be remembered that the Alvis body had no sunshine roof, simple air bags for cushions and that the rear floor is included in the chassis weight. The complete car weighs just a little over 28.5cwt. The doors look thick, and a type of silent block lock is fitted. The interior finish is of a very high class and looks good but the pockets on the doors look like badly pleated skirts. The instrument board, which is equipped with a 5.000ins. dial speedometer and tachometer such as we are proposing to use is such that the driver cannot reasonably be expected to be able to get out on the near side. The cushions are very uncomfortable. On the road the body shewed no signs of rattles or whistles. The exhaust boomed at speed but the noise seemed outside of the body and there was no body boom. No exhaust fishtail is used. The tail pipe appears to be 2.000ins. dia. | ||