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).
Explaining the company's position on Houdaille Shock Absorbers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 25\2\ Scan029 | |
| Date | 24th June 1914 | |
| Wcr/Mcr3/B24614. Re Houdaille Shock Absorbers. X.1152. W/S 24.6.14. In reply to your memo DH{D. Henderson - Showroom}3/DN23614, we wish to explain the position with regard to Houdaille Shock Absorbers as follows:- The experiments with these are still in progress, but we do not think we should recommend fitting them; they add a lot of weight to the car and they do not improve the riding at ordinary low speeds up to about 20 miles per hour, in fact, it would appear that they have a detrimental effect at these low speeds, except on an exceptionally bad, wavy road, such as one never comes across except when travelling in very out of the way places. They accentuate the shock from potholes at low speeds. Their chief virtue is that they hold the car steady and stop bouncing when travelling at high speeds. We presume it is not in accordance with our usual policy to adversely criticise competitors goods, but we think you might state that whilst we believe these shock absorbers are excellent for either racing or high speed touring cars, we do not recommend their use for our own cars for the purpose for which our cars are designed. (over) | ||