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).
Extract from a letter by Mr. Raymond Mays comparing a 4 1/4 litre car to a 3 1/2 litre model, with specific feedback on brake performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90\4\ scan0055 | |
| Date | 1st September 1936 | |
| Extract from letter from Mr.Raymond Mays - for enc. with memo. to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}1/E1.9.36 'Last week I returned from abroad after a long tour through France, Italy and Switzerland on my 4 1/4 litre Car, in connection with the Swiss Grand Prix. The Car behaved really marvellously and I cannot describe the great value of the extra h.p. in this larger engine when negotiating such Passes as the Grimsel, Furka and Oberalp. It was a very interesting comparison doing the same Passes this year with a new Car compared with the 3 1/2 litre last year. 'Fortunately I was able to give several important people such as 'Tennis Stars' and 'Motor Racing Stars' a few runs in the Bentley, and several of these people drove the Car -- They were all amazed that such performance could be incorporated with complete silence. 'The only complaint I have is in connection with the brakes - These I am convinced are not equal to the brakes on my 3 1/2 litre Car of last year, and in addition to this they are constantly giving small troubles. At the moment there appears to be practically no braking on the front wheels, and naturally this spoils the otherwise beautiful performance of the Car. As stated previously even when these brakes are working normally, they are definitely not adequate for the performance of the Car and on this particular Car after any more than two hard applications from speed, their efficiency falls off by at least 50%........' | ||