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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).
Complaint case regarding a customer's steering issues, described as 'shimmy' or high-speed wobble.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 17\4\  Scan074
Date  30th August 1934
  
COPY.

C. from H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints}
c. to W.
N.

Complaint Case.
128-PY - Gustav Wyns, of -
Rue Philippe le Bon, 50 Brussels,
Etablissements Alphonse Wyns,
Vilvorde.

On the 27th inst. I had a considerable interview with Mr. Wyns, who called to express once more his serious dissatisfaction with the steering of the above car at speed on the Belgian roads, principally on the pave roads which are very general in Belgium, but also on the rougher and usual macadam roads.

It appears that in spite of the work carried out quite recently at W. and some further subsequent attention given at N., the steering of this car is no better.

What Mr. Wyns complains of is what he calls "shimmy" - but I do not, from his description, think this is what we call high speed steering wobble. Rather I take him to mean unsteadiness of the steering, which he says begins at 80 k.m.ph. (50 m.p.h.) and continues at all the higher speeds at which he drives - which are up to 110 Km.p.h. (70 m.p.h.).

Mr. Wyns is undoubtedly a man of considerable driving experience and knowledge of other cars. He is well aware of the behaviour of a number of other mostly smaller cars of different makes under the same conditions, and claims that in the smaller Minervas he has owned, notably the 17 h.p., there is no sign of the trouble of which he complains. Thr 32 h.p. Minerva does not suffer either, but in this case, the steering is stiffer, and on that account, more tiring at 70 m.p.h. than the smaller car.

It was obvious from his conversation that he knew - presumably from some experience, of certain remedies for this type of trouble, because he stated he was particular not to try them on his RR. car and
  
  


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