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).
Critical trial report on the Lincoln Zephyr, comparing it unfavorably to other American cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 126\3\ scan0049 | |
| Date | 30th May 1936 | |
| HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} GRx X1104 To-Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} from-Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} re Lincoln Zephyr. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}7/E30.5.36 Copy to E.Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}G.Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} On Friday last C., Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} and I had one of these cars out for trial. We quickly came to the conclusion that it was easily the worst American car that we had tried for a very long time. The roar and fuss on acceleration from its 12-cylinder engine was little short of appalling. Its very bad features were noisy over-run, dangerous steering, that is to say, one could not really place the car where you wanted to and the amount of free movement in the wheel was extraordinary. The springing is all transverse springs front and back. It did not give at all a good ride and the car rolls very badly indeed. The visibility from the driver's seat is very poor. One wonders why the Ford organisation have put out this car, which is selling at a higher price than the Ford V.8 and, although I have not tried an up-to-date Ford V.8 lately, I believe it is an infinitely better car to own and drive. I was out on a straight 8 Studebaker, President model, this week-end. It is a definitely more pleasant car than the 12-cylinder Lincoln. The Lincoln car is not to be compared with the Cadillac V.8 about which we wrote in Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}1/KW.13.1.36. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||