Rolls-Royce Ruggedness

Rolls-Royce Ruggedness

Sir,

I was interested to note in “One Man’s Alpine” by the Hon. Alan Clarke, his observation that the Silver Ghost, 3½-litre and “R” Continental are the only R-R products that will stand up to really hard driving.

Had he attended the 1971 Rolls-Royce and Bentley Alpine pass-baiting rally for which he entered and which he informed me certain Swiss authorities considered over-ambitious, he might have felt differently.

In 1971 the majority of models made by Rolls-Royce participated and all completed the four-day course satisfactorily. The participants consisted of one Silver Ghost, one PI, one PIII, one Twenty, two 20/25s, one 25/30, one Silver Wraith, two Silver Cloud Is, one Silver Cloud II, one Silver Shadow, two 3½s, three “R” Continentals, one R/SI special, one SI, one SI Continental and one S3. Incidentally, the 25/30 had just previously to the start completed a 3,400-mile tour without missing a beat—England to Italy, shipped to Israel and then driven across desert to the Red Sea and back. Four vintage Bentleys also participated Weybridge.

J. C. DYMOCK-MAUNSELL, Secretory: Rolls-Royce and Bentley, Alpine and Dolomite Pass-Baiting Rallies 1971 and 1972.