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).
Test drive report providing feedback on a Bentley vehicle's performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\1\ scan0226 | |
| Date | 30th March 1938 | |
| To Bentley Motors Ltd. Derby............. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} 1245. Levallois Sr3/ET.30.3.38. FILE When I was last in Derby, I was given an opportunity and the great pleasure of trying the first edition of B.III and, whilst appreciating that it is in the first edition, I must say that it is a very good one. During a drive from Duffield to Buxton I was able, in spite of my strong dislike of English roads and of driving on the left hand side of these, to put the car through its paces with four people up and I can assure you that my impression was excellent. In spite of weak springs at the rear - the car was crashing badly due I believe also to the ride control being set as a fixed position at the medium setting, the road holding was excellent and the steering, in my opinion, ideal: free from unnecessary reactions on the steering columns, yet nice and positive. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, I understand, considers it to be too positive and from this point of view we will never agree. However, it is nice to know that, at a pinch, Continental cars could be delivered with a nice, positive steering! The overdrive gearbox makes the car very attractive as, owing to the general lack of fuss when the car is on top of its revs in third direct, one has a tendency to use this a lot in England, and thus maintain remarkable average speeds, whilst always being in a position to pull up in all security. The effect of having an overdrive gearbox for Continental use of course will be to keep the bearings in position, as one would almost always be in fourth, overdrive, on the long Continental stretches. My experience of driving the Bentley that was fitted with this gear box and is supposed to have just finished its Châteauroux tests, proves to me quite definitely that, for Continental work, this gearbox is a marked asset. On the present car it cuts out fuss, in fact it makes the car very quiet. At the same time, at 3600 r.p.m., one is on the peak of the car's speed, with the impression of being able to go on all day. The brakes were quite satisfactory for slowing up purposes, but insufficient, I should imagine, if one were called upon to stop the car suddenly. This was due I should think to insufficient front wheel braking. The power unit was much quieter and sweeter than the actual car and I greatly admired the efforts that have been made, and crowned with success, to get the car to perform on top at very low speeds. This is a great asset from the commercial point of view, as it enables salesmen to demonstrate the utter | ||