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 discussing methods for measuring vehicle ride quality and its importance for sales.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 43\2\ Scan101 | |
| Date | 10th March 1926 | |
| ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. X3900 Oy3-E-31026 March 10th, 1926 Mr. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives, Rolls-Royce, Ltd., Derby, England. Re Riding Qualities Dear Hives: I have just received your letter re springing of February 23rd. We are very pleased to think that our results (which are generally rather crude) are of use to you, and we want to cooperate in every possible way. As you say riding quality is the most difficult thing in the world (except perhaps silence or the feminine mind) to measure correctly. Up to the present we find that the best way to measure riding is to take one's wife along, or someone quite unfamiliar with the details of the changes which have been made, but preferably a lady, and make a long run (200 miles at least in the day) without thinking about riding quality at all. We find after such a test that the lady at least will know without a shadow of doubt whether the ride was good or bad, and eventually, alibis notwithstanding, one will have to agree with her. Roads. We have in our roads over here, even the best concrete roads, an "invisible wave" due to frost and heat, which is just the thing to start galloping or pitching in a car. Consequently riding quality is the matter of greatest importance and our greatest Sales asset. I do not mean that our cars have less tendency to gallop than others, but because of their very soft springs they can be restrained from galloping by more gentle or less violent means in the way of shock absorbers, than any other. | ||