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).
Issues with the inefficiency and small size of Bentley brakes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\2\ scan0080 | |
| Date | 24th January 1934 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} x206 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Copy to W.W.Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} re Bentley Brakes. As you know, there is a certain amount of trouble with brakes on the Bentley from the point of inefficiency after they have been used severely, and I think that it is for this reason that we have had to go to a type of material which lands us in another trouble, i.e. almost complete inefficiency after the car has been washed or passed through water. The size of the brake drums on the Bentley car has, as I think you know, been criticised as being totally inadequate for a fast sports car, and doubtless, if there is trouble with our brakes from either of the points mentioned above or any other points, our competitors will not fail to make good use of it. What I should really like to know is why we use such small brake drums. I appreciate that larger brake drums mean more unsprung weight but I should not have thought that this was very important. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||