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).
Continental testing schedule, its evolution, and the investigation process for experimental cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0358 | |
| Date | 28th October 1941 guessed | |
| -3- conditions. Such tests, therefore, are always included in a standardisation schedule of mileage which at present consists of the following: 25,000 miles on the Continent (including a comprehensive tour in the Alps) 1,000 " in London traffic. When we first started our Continental tests, it was on a basis of 10,000 miles running, but as the road surface has improved and the standard of reliability expected by the customer increased, we steadily raised the distance to be covered. The average speed of tis Continental running is very high and our records show that it has progressively increased in spite of of the fact that there is probably ten times as much traffic on the French roads today as there was 20 years ago. This, of course, is simply an indic-ation of the improved roadworthiness of the vehicle and increased engine performance. The Continental running is not confined to running miles alone, the Test Station is fully equipped to dismantle the chassis and when troubles occur - as they are bound to do on all experimental cars - it is up to the staff to recommend a solution to the Design Department. To do this, they frequently have to call upon the Engineers from the Derby Factory, who travel out to investigate the problems. This investigation work often takes quite as much time as the actual periods when the car is on the road. Generally speaking, four complete tests are run every year. It is exceptionally difficult for the testers to avoid occasional accidents. I well remember that when we first started these tests, although other motorists were few and far between, the hazards of the roads were very | ||