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).
Steering performance, flexibility, and comparison with competitor vehicles.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\S\2April1928-June1928\ Scan033 | |
| Date | 16th April 1928 | |
| FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} (At Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence.) R2/M16.4.28. REC'D AT WW. & DESPATCHED 19.4.28. C. to BJ. WCR. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} PN.{Mr Northey} C. GWB. SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} re. STEERING. It is fairly certain that with a 15/1 steering we are still faster than the average large cars, (referring to the 9 large Americans.) But I did not mean you to confine your reference to American cars; what is the latest practice of - (1) Hispano - big. (2) Delage " (3) Mercedes " (4) Panhard " (5) Bentley " and any others you can find. The London coachbuilders have most of these chassis, and between Mr. Cowen, DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}, HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RM.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, etc. it should not be a long or costly job to find if what we have come to by going slightly slower by degrees with decided advantage, is where others have come to. It is usually understood that as the car gets smaller and lighter the steering is quicker. It follows that instead of going further than 15.5 to 1. we must reduce the weight on the front wheels. We must use the largest worm with low loading so that the oil film is maintained for cornering and parking. I understand you are using experimentally 2000 lbs. per inch spring in longitudinal tube instead of our 1500 lbs. standard, which is stiffer than a year ago. This flexibility is absolutely needed for reasonable comfort in steering on a pot-holy road - (I understand Hispano is more flexible.) The flexibility and reversibility of our competitors should be examined if possible. Our EAC. 7. is slower, and probably more flexible, (than 2000 lbs.) but it is the best steering we have ever had. Slower steering or greater flexibility is the only thing we know to meet the complaint Mr. Northey had against the steering when at Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence about 3 weeks ago. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||