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).
Typed review and critique of a car, suggesting improvements to speed, braking, and bodywork aesthetics.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 57\1\ Scan227 | |
| Date | 21th February 1926 guessed | |
| 2. than the 40/50 and one wants a cut out to vary the monotony. Also several other reasons. There should be a reserve supply on the petrol tank. Max speed down hill (checked by stop watch) 61 m.p.h., but the car is not happy above 55. The low gear accounts for part of this, but the car should be 10 m.p.h. faster, a modern 3 1/2 litre with featherweight body should do 70 down a slope, even American cars are nearly at that point now. The last few hundred revs dont seem to be much use to the engine; it doesn't seem to fill them, and another 10 HP should be obtained somehow, by higher compression or get more gas in, or by some means or another. The brakes are not as good as the 40/50, one has to shove very hard to bring it to rest through the last 20 m.p.h. The bonnet is just a bit too stumpy for dignity. 2" longer would make all the difference to its appearance. It seems as if the dashboard could be brought back 2" without sacrificing any useful body space, but if it cant, perhaps it could be treated as many continental and other cars, by sloping its edges back to give the extra bonnet length. If this was done, the bonnet could stand being 2" wider at the back and so help to run into the body line more easily as you have recently done on the 40/50. It goes without saying that we agree with Guy Knowles and the other enthusiasts who say it would be nicer with the cylinders bored out 3 to 5 m.m. more, or as much as the existing cylinder block and crankcase would stand. I believe if you did these things, your sales would be doubled and you could raise the chassis price £100. As the 20 now is, I think I shall stick to the Phantom. If these details come in at a later stage, I'm for one. I gave a fellow a run in it who was on the verge of ordering a Sunbeam. He is going tomorrow to Paddon to order a 20 R.R., so I hope you will get some benefit from my run! I cant quite agree that it is the prettiest car I have ever seen, but I appear to be in the minority as everyone who saw it, thought it was. I'm due to hand it back to Paddon and to collect my Phantom with his comments, tomorrow, just before or just after lunch. | ||