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).
Copy of a letter from a customer detailing three issues with a new car: steering column vibration, an overheating Autovac, and a query about the automatic ignition.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan140 | |
| Date | 15th August 1925 | |
| COPY. Palace House, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hants. August 15th 1925. My dear CJ., I have just come back from a 250 mile trip to Porlock on the new car. She runs delightfully, but there are three points which seem to me to require attention and on which I want information. (1) The steering column vibrates very badly on bad roads, though the wheel shocks are no worse than usually experienced. There is no support to the column as in the former models, and the result is that every vibration is intensified on the steering wheel. The steering is excellent, easy, and with no backlash. Perhaps you will let me know Royce's views on this point. (2) The Autovac works well, but gets really very hot, too hot to put one's hand on, on a journey. This means that there must be a considerable pressure inside from petrol vapour and if any leak should occur, it might cause a small explosion or fire. I have tried opening the ventilator at the side of the dashboard near the floor, and opening wide the ventilator or cowl above. But this seems to make little difference. Should the Autovac get so hot? I am going to open the left-hand ventilator in the bonnet cover to see if that makes any difference. We have had once or twice some difficulty in starting and found the autovac empty which might be caused by pressure of the petrol vapour in there forcing by degrees the petrol back into the tank. (3) I can't quite make out the principle of the automatic ignition. I know that one keeps the ignition lever right up in ordinary using, but should it ever be pulled back? if one is half stopped or checked in traffic to say 10 m.p.h., should one change or (as in former models) put the ignition right down and not change? I am driving up to a shoot near Balmoral in a fortnight, and if you could let me have an answer, should be obliged. Yours ever, (Sgd.) John M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} | ||