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).
Page 2 of a letter from Cadillac Motor Car Company discussing vehicle testing results and issues.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\2\ img106 | |
| Date | 20th October 1931 guessed | |
| -2- There is a progressive loosening up between body and frame, which, while it develops squeaks and rattles seems to save the entire car assembly from actual cracks and breakage. Criticism of the bumper results so far would seem to be therefore, (a) That it does not give destruction results nearly quickly enough (we can produce useful breakage quicker than this on the Proving Ground "Belgian Block" track, and in a way which we know is strictly comparable with road use). (b) That (perhaps because of using wrong shaped cams, or wrong selection of speed and bump) the breakage so far is concentrated on springs which give little trouble in actual use and does not occur in the same place on the springs as is usual in actual service. Shock absorbers (Delco V-type) are fitted and the ones at the bumped end are kept more or less cool by large bore pipes from a blower. The Cadillac is undoubtedly a very "tough" car, when its steel body shell is in place, and will not render results easily, but it seems to me that something is missing in my picture of the bumping rig. Perhaps what is missing is just the courage which comes from experience in thrashing the car hard enough, but my picture of the Derby rig is that it did not look like a very severe test, but produced results rapidly in spite of this. If we run much beyond the speeds mentioned, 3" at 7 mph and 2" at 15 mph, the wheels begin to jump up in the air a lot and the car to sway from side to side, and things begin to look entirely too exciting for normal human beings to stand for several consecutive hours. I wish you could give me a little advice on this business as it seems to me we have the equipment but are not getting the results out of it. Regards, Sincerely yours, CADILLAC MOTOR CAR COMPANY Maurice Olley M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Olley MO:fs{F. Steele} | ||