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).
Design considerations for producing left-hand steering vehicles, particularly for the American market.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 40\5\ Scan032 | |
| Date | 29th May 1919 | |
| To CJ, from R.{Sir Henry Royce} c. to OY. c. to BN.{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} c. to EH. RE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND STEERING. I am in receipt of Mr. Olley's letter (OY6/F13.5.19) re right and left hand steering. I have always thought that it was quite necessary for the driver to be on the left hand side where the rules of the road are "drive to the right". I have waited, however, until the demand was confirmed definitely by the users of cars. I quite agree that for the American factory, therefore the cars should be constructed with the steering column on the left hand side of the car. Possibly in the English factory we ought to construct them both ways. A long time ago I also came to the conclusion that to build a chassis with left hand steering, it is necessary to build a left hand engine throughout, except in its direction of revolution, so that we shall, in the case of left hand steering have the exhaust and carburetters on the opposite side to the usual. As regards the gear box, the changes would also be fairly extensive with the present design, and with left hand steering it is very desirable to have the centre position for the change speed and brake levers, as in the 20 HP. then the alteration to these parts will be practically nothing, as I think it would be a simple matter to reverse the position of the brake lever to the other side of the change speed box. This is a definite argument in favour of adopting (Contd). | ||