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).
Sharing an extract from a letter by Professor Dodds about his overdrive Bentley's performance and economy.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90\2\ scan0174 | |
| Date | 20th June 1940 guessed | |
| Im Gray Z/H F.J.H. Please note Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 261. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}17/E1140 To Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Copy to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} I thought you would be interested to see the following extract from a recent letter I had from Professor Dodds relative to his overdrive Bentley which he has now had just over a year: '....Perhaps the following few notes about my Bentley might be of interest. I have had the car now just over a year, and have done roughly 20,000 miles with it. I have had absolutely no trouble after the first week or so. The main points that I notice in it are, firstly, that it is much more economical to run than any of the others that I have had. For example, I have done roughly 15,000 miles on one set of tyres, and I have never got more than half that from other cars. The petrol consumption is so good that one really does not like to mention it, as people do not believe one. Driven really carefully with the object of saving petrol, it is possible to get over 20 miles per gallon; I have checked this very carefully and can absolutely vouch for it. Driven really hard one can get round about 15 miles. 'With the open roads of today it is possible to get up to the maximum speed without much trouble. I have found it difficult to do more than 95 miles an hour. This, however, I can reach very easily. 'I am on the whole very pleased indeed with the car, and think that the overdrive top makes a tremendous difference.' Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||