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 from Melbourne about frequent breakages of front spring top leaves, comparing the poor quality and high cost of Derby parts to superior, cheaper, locally-made alternatives.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 106\1\ scan0151 | |
| Date | 30th January 1929 | |
| Pt.4/EAP/30-1-29 X5410 MELBOURNE. - 30th January, 1929 EX/Derby C.Ha/Derby ✓ C.Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Derby C.Whr.{Mr Wheeler}/London Mr. Ford, ex Derby, of All British Motors has drawn my attention to the fact that we are getting far too many complaints of breakages of top leaves of front springs in Goshawk Chasses, and quite a number of complaints of springs "settling down" in India Chasses. In the case of Goshawk breakages there is not only the somewhat surprised customer to mollify, but there is, also, the inconvenient fact that if these spring leaf breakages are to be charged to customer, he has to be debited with the sum of £4:16:10 for a top leaf, which approximates to the Australian price for complete spring locally made. This £4:16:10 is made up as follows:- Invoice Price, Derby ... £3: 7: 0 Plus 10% landing charges, say... 5: 8 Plus 40% Duty, say ... 1: 4: 2 Total. £4:16:10 It seems extraordinary, but the locally made top plate, having one solid eye, can be obtained for 27/6, less 33-1/3% to the trade, - and, still more extraordinary it is that these locally made plates do not break, whereas those sent out from Derby repeatedly do so. One 20 h.p. owner here has had three new top leaves out of the last consignment of twelve received from Works by The All British Motors, while another customer, having broken a top leaf, and having had a new one ex Works fitted, broke same in two places after covering a little over 1,000 miles. This latest breakage I have forwarded to you, under separate cover, in order that you may examine the fractures and, perhaps, arrive at some conclusion as to the cause thereof, and some means of preventing recurrences in future. I am extremely puzzled by the fact that spring leaves made by leading Spring Makers in England who have an enormous turnover, and, presumably, all the resources of highly paid technical experts, combined with advanced knowledge of heat treatment and materials, to say nothing of the means of making exhaustive laboratory tests, should not be able to produce an article comparable with that made locally by men who are without all these advantages, and have only rule of thumb methods to work to, and, possibly, much inferior material. | ||