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).
Road test report for car 58-GN, evaluating its stiff front springs and suggesting modifications.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 16\4\ Scan194 | |
| Date | 4th October 1930 | |
| COPY. LE6/R/4.10.30. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} --- Re. 58-GN. Your Car. -------------------- With reference to your - Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}12/E24.9.30 - I am returning the report from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} I was able to try your car yesterday and I certainly feel that the front springs are definitely too strong for ordinary use. The whole of the front of the car gives one the impression at moderately low speeds that the springing and damping is very much too much, but at high speeds the stability in front is very good. This is, of course, exactly what one would expect with very strong front springs. I took the car along the Watford by-pass, and over roads which I use constantly with ordinary test cars, and do not consider the front springing on your car, particularly at low speeds, is at all comparable with the average Phantom 11. There was one point I noticed, and that was the scuttle separation bolts were distinctly on the easy side, and there was quite an amount of movement between the scuttle, dash and instrument board. I tightened up these and shall be interested to hear whether you notice any improvement has been effected. I also noticed that you have the soft rubber buffers on the separation scheme, and I would suggest that you allow me to fit the new type harder rubber buffers which Derby have standardised, and say make a very considerable improvement to the front of the car. With regard to your criticism that the car is raised up in the front, I find that this is so and that the buffer to axle clearance is slightly over an inch more than is standard, and it certainly gives the impression of the car being "jumped up" in front. This I think is intensified by the extra amount of clearance, the increased camber to the front springs gives to the front wings. The raising of the front certainly spoils the appearance of the car. On the return journey I let the tyre pressure down to what you had just been using, and there certainly was an improvement in the front of the car, but even so, this improvement did not make the car as good as the average Phantom 11. I think this type of front spring would be admirably suitable for a customer who requires a really fast car, as the road-holding qualities at high speeds were considerably better than they are with standard springs. J.LE. | ||