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).
Letter providing feedback on a streamlined 4 1/4 Bentley and the new overdrive cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\1\ scan0249 | |
| Date | 17th March 1939 | |
| 261a. TELEGRAMS: SUMMERS, CHESTER. TELEPHONE: 900 CONNAH'S QUAY (10 LINES). CODES USED: BENTLEY'S; BENTLEY'S 2ND PHRASE. WESTERN UNION. A.B.C. 6TH (5 LETTER) EDITION. BIRCHWOOD'S. MARCONI INTERNATIONAL. LIEBER'S. JOHN SUMMERS & SONS, LIMITED. MANUFACTURERS OF GALVANIZED CORRUGATED AND PLAIN STEEL SHEETS, BLACK SHEETS AND HIGH GRADE SHEETS FOR ALL PURPOSES LONDON OFFICE: 34, LIME STREET, E.C. GLOBE IRON WORKS, STALYBRIDGE. BIRMINGHAM OFFICE: EXCHANGE BUILDINGS. ALL QUOTATIONS UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ARE SUBJECT TO REPLY BY RETURN OF POST. Hawarden Bridge Steel Works, Shotton, Chester. Your Ref. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}11/R.{Sir Henry Royce} Our Ref. ...... 17th March, 1939. W.A. Robotham Esq., Rolls Royce Ltd., D E R B Y. Dear Bill, I thank you for your letter of the 16th and for the translation of the article on the streamlined 4 1/4 Bentley. The performance is certainly good, but personally I am not interested in freak looking machines. I would rather see an effort made to make the standard car more comfortable and give it a better acceleration. I cannot see eye to eye with your latest development which you are pleased to term an overdrive! Neville has got one of the new cars and I have driven it a certain amount, and I miss very much the old third gear. Also the car gave me the impression of being more ponderous than its predecessor. Its chief advantage is, I think, that it is quieter. Bleaney is lending me one for Easter and I propose to make some comparative tests with my own car, which at the moment I believe to be faster and better | ||