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 discussing the car's handling, shock absorbers, braking, and performance compared to competitors.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 182\M18\ img007 | |
| Date | 1st February 1935 | |
| TO: "HSH" - 2 - SFI/Crn.1.2.35. After covering quite a lot of ground over varied surfaces, round "S" bends, etc., I, personally, am of the opinion that the car, although perfectly controllable at high speeds, does not give one that impression of absolute security which is so remarkable when the Hartford shock absorbers are slightly taken up (see paragraph 2). I wish to make myself quite clear on this point. The utmost pressure on the gauge, when running on the maximum position, was 24 lbs., which leads one to presume that, if this pressure were to be increased a little more, so as to get a slightly higher poundage in the front shock absorbers, the desired result would be obtained. By this, I mean the effect produced (see paragraph 2). On the other hand, for the every day, or normal driver, one can safely state that there would be exceedingly few complaints, if cars were delivered with these automatically controlled shock absorbers working to the pressures they were when we were out with the car, i.e. 24 lbs at 70 m.p.h. onwards, on the maximum reading. Quite apart from official report, I think that points of interest to you are the following :- Two of the customers who handled the car were amateur racing drivers, being in the habit of running Alfa Romeos and 4.9 Bugattis. They were both amazed with the road holding propensities of the car, also the steering, and have both definitely stated the road holding qualities to be better than on the 4.9 Bugattis. Before making the latter statement, they took this car over their particular courses, and handled it in exactly the same manner as they would have done their Bugattis. The bends were taken at the same speeds, and the exceedingly undulating and cambered roads were negotiated at the highest speeds it was possible to take with their Bugatti cars. On another occasion, the flying kilometre on the Arpajon road was covered in 25 secs, under ideal weather conditions, with three people up. This represents an average of 144 kms. per hour, or 89 m.p.h. I have not mentioned anything about the speed of the car, or acceleration, which are, in my opinion, such a tremendous improvement on our other cars that no comments are necessary. I further consider a point worth mentioning is that most people complained about the seemingly abnormal pressure one has to apply to the brake pedal to obtain rapid braking. When the car was first handed over to us, the carburetter was "luffing" badly. After Mr. Roberts had attended to this, it was greatly improved. If the car were mine, I should ask for a little more front wheel braking. Sr. | ||