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).
Test driver's report on the performance of a Wraith car, detailing faults with the brakes, steering, and gearbox.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 6\6\ 06-page314 | |
| Date | 20th September 1937 | |
| Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wym.{G. Harold Whyman - Experimental Manager} c. MX.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} c. All Testers. 600? Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}2/R.20.9.37. The following is a brief summary of the impressions I obtained from the Wraith car which I have driven for the past fortnight. I shall be glad if you will personally discuss the points raised with the person responsible for each section of the chassis, and get them to let me have a written statement as to why the fault occurred, and what it is proposed to do when the Wraith goes into production to obviate the faults:- BRAKES. The brakes were the worst feature of the car, because they squeaked continuously. The squeak is of a high pitch type, and unlike the groans which have proved so troublesome in London traffic, and we are under the impression that the Handcock shoe would largely eliminate this. The brakes were effective and reasonably well-equalised. After the car had been driven sufficiently far to get thoroughly warm however, brake thumps became evident and quite bad. When the car was started up from cold the servo squeaked for the first 4 or 5 miles without the pedal being depressed. The rear brake dust covers rubbed round every corner. STEERING. The steering was reasonably good under ordinary road conditions, but on a bad road was not free from steering shocks. The rattling of controls on the steering column was particularly annoying. This is a feature on the Bentley which has received much adverse comment. We consider it imperative that on the Wraith, controls do not rattle on the column. With the lower tyre pressures the steering was heavier than desirable, but we would rather have this heaviness than a lower gear ratio. GEARBOX. The side shaft was very noisy when cold, otherwise gearbox reasonably good. It is most difficult to get the gear lever out of bottom gear. It is not always easy to pick up reverse. It also seems to be rather unusually easy to jam the teeth when trying to get into bottom gear. | ||