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).
High-speed testing, complaints about steering, and clarifying that the Experimental Department are their own harshest critics.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 4\8\ 08-page14 | |
| Date | 1st June 1926 | |
| To B.J. from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} X 469 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LGS.6.26. TESTS AT HIGH SPEEDS. Replying to BJ6/D4.6.26. We can safely say that the Experimental Dept. are not influenced at all by meeting customers who are amateur enthusiasts and speed merchants. We never come in contact with a customer. The only speed merchants we meet are PN.{Mr Northey} and CWB. They certainly criticise the car adversely unless it will travel fast and comfortable under all conditions. When our man Hancock carried out tests with Ps. (Parsons) outside Paris, the complaint was that when the car was travelling at the maximum speed (approx. 70 m.p.h.) and ran off a good road on to a bad road it was dangerous. Ps's criticism of the steering is all based on his experience at high speeds. Therefore, we wish to make it very clear that we are not the originators of the complaints at high speeds. It is our own critics who complain of the behaviour of the car at maximum speeds. In our opinion there is more risk of us being stampeded by our own critics than there is by customers. We are thoroughly in agreement with your statement that the majority of our customers do not desire, or ever use their cars under maximum speed conditions. You will remember that we begged to have a list sent to us periodically, of actual customers complaints. On the last list we received at the beginning of March (another is now due), 573 Phantom cars were delivered from the Works, all of which were fitted with the old type steering. contd:- | ||