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).
Letter regarding the dispatch and testing of a pair of Autolock rear shock dampers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 91\3\ scan0200 | |
| Date | 15th November 1935 | |
| +3009 G.W. Hancock, Esq., Hotel de France, Chateauroux, Indre, France. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Les.10/KW.15.11.35. Ph.III. A pair of Autolock rear shock dampers to N.Sch.4525 is leaving here for you to-day. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} thought it was a good idea that you should be first to condemn them, also to get as much mileage with them as possible. Although these dampers have done practically no running on the road, they appear to be reasonably reliable from the rig. The intention of the Autolock rear damper is to reduce liability of hitting the rear buffers, and to steady the car after a hump-backed bridge. For this they appear to be fairly effective, but we are very interested in the effect upon the ordinary riding of the car. Your criticisms of these dampers against our standard rear dampers at this stage of affairs would be very valuable. I am attaching a print of N.Sch.4650 which shows how the suspension plates are assembled. Although the suspension parts are similar to those fitted to SpectreCodename for Phantom III II, the assembling of the parts is slightly different. This is owing to the wide and narrow suspension bosses on the damper casing being reversed. The parts on your car were actually made for Autolock dampers and reversed to suit the standard dampers so far fitted. The Autolock rear damper does not prevent the throw-up on hump-backed bridges. This job is done by the front Autolock dampers, which should be fitted to your next car for France. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Les.{Ivan A. Leslie} | ||