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).
Road test report from France detailing a vehicle's performance regarding temperature, overly lively springing, and poor steering.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 11\3\ 03-page145 | |
| Date | 28th June 1930 | |
| To: Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} From G.W.H. X77 3 Hôtel de France, Châteauroux, Indre. 28/6/30. We arrived at Châteauroux this evening. The general performance of the car has been maintained. We have had the water temperature up to 97°C. on the long sustained run from Orléans to here. The oil temperature also reached 90°C. We tried on our way down the rear shutters in the bonnet open and the front shutters open, and both shutters open. There is no appreciable difference at high speed in the water temperature when using either the front or rear shutters in the bonnet. The most consistent results were obtained when both shutters were open. We then maintained a steady 90°C. water temperature. The springing of the car is too lively for high speed. We get the same effect on the rear as we had on Brooklands, i.e. the rear suddenly shooting or skidding across the road, and the road wheels dither considerably at high speeds. The springing gets into a rythm under certain conditions at high speed making it very difficult to hold the road. The steering is worse over here than what it was on the English roads. We get a very sharp short rap from the steering wheel. The stability of the steering also is not any too good, one cannot be sure of clearing any object on the road at any high speed. Self-centering is poor, and the heaviness of the steering, or the tiring of the steering still takes place. We shall examine the cross steering tube ball ends first to see whether P.T.O. | ||