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).
The performance and characteristics of the Hispano-Suiza four-wheel brake system.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 22\1\ Scan074 | |
Date | 21th January 1924 | |
DUPLICATE. X4214 FN1/DN/21.1.24. TO C.J. FROM P.N. HISPANO-SUIZA - FOUR WHEEL BRAKES. During the week-end I have driven this car about 100 miles under all sorts of conditions of road surface, traffic and speed, so that I am now fairly intimately acquainted with the characteristics of its brake system. I must own I started out prepared to find that a considerable amount of care and skill must be brought to bear on the brake control of this car in order to avoid awkward skids and deflections of the car on slippery surfaces and curves in the event of the brakes being asked to function vigorously. I was prepared to find that the rather drastic operation of the brakes produced a nervousness in the driver and a feeling of distrust or instability. Rather to my surprise therefore I had the impression that never before had I been on a car which gave me (and I know also the effect was the same with the other passengers) so definite a feeling of security under the most adverse conditions when driving fast. The deceleration from high speeds on slippery road surfaces, was most remarkable. Any tendency to deflect the car from its course or to skid the wheels could quite easily be prevented without any undue degree of skill. I produced side skids with the car on sharp curves and found that quite easily one could correct these skids without an undue degree of skill. I ran the distance between Windsor and Hammersmith in ten minutes less time on wet slippery roads than I have ever done with a Rolls-Royce on dry roads, simply because I was able to keep up a high average speed. The brakes were carefully adjusted, so that I did not at any time find any bias on the steering when using the brakes. I feel that probably this control-system of brakes would be a safer proposition generally, if the driver was given more work to do with his foot. At present a very small pressure produces a very large effect, which is alright with highly expert people, but cars have to be sold to every sort of unexpert person, and I think that it would be undoubtedly wiser if more resistance is provided for in the pedal-push. Today, when driving one of our cars on equally slippery roads, the difference in control was very striking: I felt, in fact, as if I had no brakes available at P.T.O. | ||