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 characteristics, specifically the 'nibbling' issue, comparing US and UK car models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 108\2\ scan0223 | |
| Date | 10th March 1939 | |
| Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} STEERING. -2- Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/EWC3/R.10.3.39. The steering ratio is entirely different from the U.S. variety. Most of those are too low for speed. The Wraith, to me, appears too high for easy parking. The lower U.S. ratio may be one reason for absence of "nibbling". Years ago Chrysler improved the steering far beyond what other makers were offering at the time by fitting a road shock absorbing device at one end of the road spring-driver's side. This was at a time when most steerings were impossible. I should imagine the new type front suspension with rubber mountings would reduce a lot of vibration at the wheel. The "Phantoms" we built in U.S. came in for a great deal of adverse criticism on account of their "nibbling" tendencies. At that time we were very much inferior, from a steering point of view, to other makers. "Nibbling" appears to be, more or less, indigenous to R-R cars. I do not know how they would behave under U.S.A. conditions nor how the U.S. cars perform on English roads, but I do not remember noticing those annoyances on U.S. cars in U.S. Since first trying the "Wraith", I have now become used to the general characteristics, but find it impossible to forget the steering annoyance. There is nothing else on the entire chassis that even the most critical could object to. What are the re-actions of a "prospect" to this feature of the steering. Does he accept it like the weather, or make a mental reservation and try another make ? It would be interesting to know what percentage of the 1939 crop of wealth purchases R-R cars as distinct from the R-R owners of, say, 1918 or 1928 ? In other words, does a car with the original R-R externals have the same "eye-appeal" to the more or less "streamlined" 39 buyer. The quality and name are, of course, taken for granted. | ||