Average speed report from 1936

[Dave Mann]

I find our standard RN saloons can maintain an average of 30 mph provided we are not hindered by modern cars, for instance setting off at 0800 on a Sunday morning for the drive to Woolaton Park it would take us 2 hours whilst the return trip took 2.5 hours. The highest average speed I achieved was returning home from Falmouth 361 miles, it was a blistering hot day and initially the car was quite happy at 45 mph on the A30, however by the time I was at Exeter I was having to back off the throttle to keep down to 50 mph so at a refueling stop at Exeter I tightened the hand throttle friction pad. Onto M 5 with the hand throttle set for 50 mph , I usually refuel every 100 miles working on 35 mpg so I thought I should refuel at Strensham services (120 miles) and could only get 2 gallons in. I bottled out of negotiating spaghetti junction and left the M 5 at unction before. I completed the run in 9 hours 25 minutes including watering stops at 50 mpg.