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).
Analysis of T.T. race performance, regulations, and competitor cars such as Delahaye and Riley in relation to the Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\6\ Scan116 | |
| Date | 29th September 1936 | |
| -2- (2) Owing to the T.T. regulations allowing two-seater bodies to be used on the big cars, the whole aspect of the race is changed. Up to date the only firms who could run a car which was to all intents and purposes a Grand Prix racing chassis were those with an engine displacement of less than 1500 c.c. The T.T. Riley in particular is a tiny motor car with the driver seated over the back axle, and the radiator cap only slightly higher than one's knees. It is to this that their success must be attributed quite as much as their engine efficiency. This year, however, the Delahaye people were able to build a similar type of car which competed in the Bentley class. Though the drivers were not familiar with the course, one of them managed to put in a lap at 85.5 M.P.H., against the Bentley's best of 83.2 M.P.H. These Delahayes weigh about 19 cwts. It would be quite impossible to get a 4-seater body on the chassis, and as will be seen from the photographs attached to Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}'s copy, the radiators are little higher than the top of the wheels, although small tyres were used. We attribute the failure of the Delahaye team to the fact that they were foreigners competing for the first time in the race, and knew little about the course or the conditions. There is no doubt that if we built a car like the Delahaye we could beat the existing Bentley hollow, though we cannot conceive that the chassis would be much use as a commercial proposition. Summarising the position, therefore - (1) Hall driving a single car must always be slower than the fastest of a team of three fast cars. (2) This year, in spite of a non-stop race and a car which was definitely 6 M.P.H. faster than last year, we failed to win the race. Next year we can do no better with power output or with reduction in pit stops. (3) The alterations in the regulations for this year will in the future severely penalise the standard Bentley chassis. We think that the chance of the Bentley obtaining a place in the race next year, if the race is held under similar conditions to those obtaining this year, is exceedingly remote unless we can increase the top speed of the car by at least 5 M.P.H. | ||