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).
Report comparing the performance and comfort of the Phantom with competitor vehicles like Isotta, Mercedes and Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 71\3\ scan0408 | |
| Date | 18th January 1928 guessed | |
| -4- these side curtains, and I have not had an opportunity of inspecting the particular pattern which we fit to our cars, but I do hope that we are able at any rate to produce something a bit better. I notice that the seats were extremely comfortable, but at the same time anybody sitting in the passenger seat in front seemed to have great difficulty in preventing themselves from rolling on to the driver on corners. While at Brighton I took a lady out for a short distance for a run in the car, and, without any prompting whatever from me, she made this comment, although she had previously very much admired the comfort of the cushions, as also had I myself. I have told you the maximum speed which I was able to get out of the car, but I should perhaps have mentioned that against a fairly strong head wind I found that the speed of the car was reduced by about ten miles an hour; this no doubt being very largely due to the very large size wings fitted to the car. The maximum speeds which I have previously told you I was able to get out of the car were done actually with the wind. In view of our conversation the other day - I was comparing in my own mind the PHANTOM, particularly with the ISOTTA, big MERCEDES, and the BENTLEY, and other cars which I have driven, and I think that the sweet and glorious running of the PHANTOM is not to be beaten; the PHANTOM, however, did not seem able to get the acceleration of the other cars which I have mentioned, and did not really seem to have quite the same power on the whole as, at any rate, the ISOTTA or the big MERCEDES for speed. I did not think the PHANTOM was as fast as the BENTLEY, and certainly not as fast as the ISOTTA or the big MERCEDES. I cannot help again expressing the hope that the Rolls-Royce Company will find it possible to give consideration to the production of a special model of the ROLLS which will be able to get to the speed of the HISPANO SUIZA, MERCEDES and ISOTTA. I explained to you the reasons why I myself bought an ISOTTA, which were very largely because of the speed which the car is able to obtain, but I certainly should not dream of having any other car than a ROLLS if it only could get to a speed of about 100 or 115 miles an hour. I think that great modifications would have to be made in the chassis for this speed to be obtained. I think it would be necessary for the car to be built much lower, and the engine | ||