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).
Road test article from 'The Motor' magazine about a new prototype Bentley, detailing its performance and capabilities.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0114 | |
| Date | 4th December 1940 | |
| December 4, 1940. 391 The Motor A Road Test of a New Prototype Bentley Gives Four Experienced Motorists New Standards in Fast Car Capabilities. By Laurence Pomeroy, Junr. finger-light, beautifully accurate and yet has a good castor action. The brakes are of the expanding wedge and roller type motivated by the well-known Rolls-Royce mechanical servo, and at low speeds pull the car up with an exceedingly low pedal pressure. The clutch is beautifully smooth and also works with low pressure. For “repressed areas,” it is, in fact, an excellent town carriage and the body, with its wide doors and ease of entry and exit, in every way lives up to the merit of the chassis. Cars such as this, however, are not bought for hack work of this nature. It is on the open road that the main test comes. Peter Clark took the wheel on our exit from London, and we found that 70 m.p.h. was a readily obtained speed, despite there being a good deal of Sunday traffic on the roads. The gear change evoked pleasurable wonder, and it is certainly a miracle of effective synchronization with light movement. Needless to say, it retains the tradition of being on the right hand, although it is so disposed that it does not impede the driver's door. The quality of the gearbox is rare; the brakes are unique. Clark did some really powerful stops from about 80 m.p.h., and the feeling of utter security —each drum doing its proper share of work in response to remarkably low pedal pressure—must be experienced to be believed. There is no tendency for the rear wheels to lock, and evidently a large proportion of the braking is now taken on the front wheels. These responsive elements of gearbox and brakes are matched by the steering. This is wholly free from kick and comparatively high geared. Before Peter had been at the wheel for long we drove into Aylesbury. We repaired to a famous hostelry for lunch, only to find it crowded with evacuees, and we gathered that we should have booked at least three weeks before to have obtained any food. Faced with this appalling situation, and waving freely aside suggestions that beer and cheese would make an acceptable substitute, Pomeroy cried loudly that he knew all the local roads backwards and would take over the wheel and do a racing run to the Kings Hotel at Bicester. Four frightened people (fearing no food), three a little apprehensive (at the prospect before them), dashed into the car, which motored out of the town at a high speed. A protest from Sam Clutton that we were not on the right road was firmly quashed; 20 minutes of really fast motoring and the destination came in sight. The level crossing before Bicester was due and the Spread Eagle Hotel at Thame entered our line of vision. Sam had been right about the road, but Pomeroy evidently had an inner instinct, which led all of us to a first-class meal, during the course of which the suavity, comfort and pleasure of handling the car were a leading topic of conversation. Peter Clark went back to the wheel for the afternoon drive, and until we got on to the Oxford By-pass there was DOUBLE SOLUTION.—The new Bentley chassis with entirely new frame and independent front suspension is designed as a double solution to the problem of the high performance car. The Mark Five type, above illustrated, carries a capacious four-five seater body, ample luggage accommodation, has brilliant acceleration and a maximum road speed of 85-90 m.p.h. Fast travel in comfort and safety is the dominant theme in this design. As an alternative the chassis can be fitted with coachwork having much less wind resistance than normal, the “ Corniche ” shown below will comfortably exceed 100 m.p.h. on its overdrive ratio, and 3,500 r.p.m. (which can be safely maintained), equals 97 m.p.h. A21 | ||