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).
Comparison of chassis and steering with a Cadillac, a Bentley drive report, and an observation on French headlamps.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 125\1\ scan0130 | |
| Date | 14th January 1935 | |
| - 2 - Cxl/KW14.1.35. lulled into a false sense of security by the good roads in England, and that they probably have on their side as much to do as we have to bring about the desired result We must expect the Coachbuilders to say that if the R-R chassis was as stiff and as well sprung as the Cadillac their bodies would be as durable and as silent as the body on the Cadillac. That is, I believe, a debatable point until they use more steel for their panelling and wings and improved metal fittings in parts of their coachwork. I think Hoopers ought to examine the body of 21-G-4 when it returns to England. They might learn a lot from it. I found the steering on 21-G-4 to be a definite improvement over the present standard 20/25 h.p. steering, but it still suffers from shocks on very bad roads. On the other hand the Cadillac steering, which is entirely free from shocks on the worst roads over which I drove it, is so absurdly low geared as to keep one too busy on corners and in traffic and allows the car to wander about the road too much. But the R-R and Cadillac steerings are so widely different at present that one feels there must be a useful compromise between the two. I drove a Bentley, B-5-AE, from Paris to Boulogne on my way home, and found this car in every way a delight to drive on French roads. I noticed that French cars do not switch out their offside headlamp when meeting others. They dim both lamps. Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} | ||