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).
Accuracy of performance figures for Bentley publicity and press runs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 144\4\ scan0199 | |
| Date | 22th December 1940 | |
| Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Ag file Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/ML.22.12.40. BENTLEY PUBLICITY. Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}'s Memo. reference Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}3/KW. 17.12.40. confirms my opinion that Press runs that are of a semi-technical nature, should be handled by the Engineering and not the Sales Department. We have never seen the B.V. Trials Car, but suggest that Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} cannot produce a calibration of its speedometer on the road. As a point of interest, we should like to know if this was checked on the car before and after the Press runs. Remarks such as : " The speedometer just struggled up to 90, which, we suggest, is about a true 86 m.p.h. - " insult the intelligence of the people to whom they are addressed. It will be observed that in the whole of this Memo. there is not a single figure relating to the maximum speed of the B.V. that has been obtained with a stop-watch. In conclusion, the maximum speed of a car is one of its few attributes which can be measured and as such, is not a matter of opinion. There is therefore no justification for allowing a statement to appear in the Press (particularly about a new model) that is demonstrably incorrect. A great deal of industry and care has been put into the evolution of B.V.; surely a Press demonstration merits the same care being taken, to ensure that the public get a true picture of the merits of the car. We are prepared to demonstrate the maximum road speed of the B.V. to Pomeroy ourselves. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||