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).
Vehicle performance after 10,000 miles, detailing steering issues and a garage break-in.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 180\M2\M2.7\ img016 | |
| Date | 1st May 1926 | |
| X58609 Hotel de France. Chateaureux. Indre, France. May, 1st 1926. To "H.S." From G.W.H. ----------- IO G.III. ----------- Our car being finished yesterday, we returned here to complete our 10,000 Miles. On the run down, the car ran well generally. On going over rough roads at 50 M.P.H., we get very bad steering shacks on the wheel. This was made worse by the wipping of the scuttle, causing the instrument board to thud on the steering column. One is inclined to wonder when running under these conditions how long the steering will stand up to it. There is apart from the steering shacks considerable wipping of the steering column taking place. These all combined together, would give on an unexperienced driver, the opinion that this was dangerous, beside the severe shacks he has to contend with. We should strongly recommend that more friction should be applied to the pivots, and that the steering column should be more rigidly held. It was noticed for the first time during the run down here that we were hitting the front buffers rather hard, the cause being probably that we were running at a higher speed than usual over this stretch of bad road. We shall have finished our 10,000 miles by Monday Noon. We shall then have a general look round the car before proceeding to Paris. The side steering tube springs that were sent by Air Mail arrived at the Paris Depot the moment we were leaving. These I asked Mr. PARSON to keep until I returned, which would be in a few days time. We have to report that our garage was entered during the early hours of this morning by some person or persons, who had broken a window to gain admission. The articles taken are of no great value, it is unfortunate that they took the thrust race just taken out of the rear axle; therefore we shall be unable to show you the failure of this. The other articles are two wheel braces, rubber plasterine for the vulcanizing, one of the men's rain coats, and all the men's overalls. It is fortunate that most of the valuable spares were removed a short time ago into our office. We have advised the police, but up to the present they have not taken the trouble to investigate. We have instructed the glass to be repaired and iron bar's to be fitted on the inside, to prevent in future any one getting through. | ||