    
RROCA Web Site Administrator (144.137.127.76)
| | Posted on Wednesday, 11 September, 2002 - 16:37: |    |
No. Rolls-Royce bonnets have never been sealed shut by the factory.
During motoring reliability trials - which were common in the early 20th century - it was customary to seal the bonnet and radiator so that competitors could not top up the coolant, adjust the carburetter or be able to do any other work on the car during the trial. This applied to all competitors, not just the Rolls-Royces.
It is possible that for many people a reliability trial was their only opportunity to see a Rolls-Royce (which was more often than not the winner) and they concluded that as whenever they saw one it had its bonnet sealed, so must all Rolls-Royce motor cars be sealed. |