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).
Desirability of fitting hand-controlled variable shock absorbers to the Continental Phantom II.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\1\ Scan268 | |
| Date | 26th June 1933 | |
| ...from PN.{Mr Northey} Copy to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Gx. X71-20 PN.{Mr Northey}2/WT27.6.33. Dictated 26.6.33. Continental Phantom II. I feel daily more strongly that it becomes more and more desirable that we should not let this type of car get into the hands of owners without a form of variable shock-absorber all round, capable of being operated from the driver's seat. At the present time the Hartfords fitted by us as standard are quite effective for holding the axle down when running fast, but the trouble is that to reduce the damping for ordinary work the shock-absorbers are un-get-at-able, and, as this operation cannot be done from the driver's seat it mostly remains undone, with the result that most of the Continental cars running under ordinary conditions feel like trucks, and the wear and tear on the coachwork (without considering the passengers at all) is pretty desperate - creaks, squeaks and rattles occurring altogether sooner than would otherwise be the case if the car had not to do 90% of its running with very little spring flexibility. Our own trials cars are giving evidence of this, and I am constantly at the drivers in charge to avoid the Hartfords being adjusted too tightly, but obviously a man never knows whether in ten minutes he may be required to run at 80 m.p.h. Also, as you are aware it is an unfortunate characteristic of the Hartford Shock-absorbers fitted by us that they are affected by climatic conditions, sometimes becoming abnormally tight without any screwing up, there being nothing but discomfort as an indication of this. Whilst probably no-one concerned would disagree with the desirability of fitting hand-controlled shock-absorbers of the Andre type, there appears to be only one point to be considered by us in this connection, i.e. the extra cost per chassis of something less than £13. which is the additional retail cost of fitting the hand-controlled Hartfords. The question does not arise of our guaranteeing these any more than we do in the case of the present Hartfords being fitted, our guarantee specifically excepts all components not manufactured by us. | ||