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).
The performance of Delco inertia controlled shock dampers following a test on a 36 HP Buick car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 152\1\ scan0131 | |
| Date | 18th May 1933 | |
| Files. X832 18.5.33. DELCO INERTIA CONTROLLED SHOCK DAMPERS. The following impression was gained from a short run in one of the latest 36 HP. Buick cars having the new Inertia controlled shock dampers fitted. Sitting in the rear of the car. The low speed springing up to approx. 25 m.p.h., was good. At intermediate speeds on wavy roads the car was uncomfortable and distinctly inferior compared with our cars. At times there appeared to be insufficient damping giving the impression that extreme discomfort would be experienced on a bad bump. However on a bad bump the car rode fairly well and no pitching followed. Although the general springing of the car was inferior to our cars, the Inertia control appeared to be beneficial to the rear passengers on bad bumps. Driving the car. The front of the car was softly sprung, the periodicity being comparatively low. The car could be driven quite fast round corners on indifferent road surfaces with a feeling of safety. The lack of the car rolling on corners for a town carriage was good. It is thought that inertia controlled shock dampers add considerably to the controllability of the car on bad road surfaces. --- Owing to large variations in road springs and tyres on two different makes of cars, it is impossible to get an accurate comparison between the Delco Inertia controll ed {J. L. Edwards} shock dampers and our own, until we have actually tried the inertia controlled dampers on one of our cars. From our short test of the Buick we think the dampers are very interesting. We are therefore going to try a set of Inertia controlled dampers on one of our 25 HP. cars. Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /Les. | ||