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).
Analysis of potential causes for a vehicle crash, focusing on a steering linkage failure after a previous warning.
| Identifier | Morton\M10\ img043 | |
| Date | 20th March 1928 | |
| contd :- -2- as to what happened when he was previously driving is correct we should suspect :- (1) A broken road spring. (2) A broken side steering tube springs. (3) A rear shock absorber out of action. (4) A burst front tyre. A five mins. examination should have shewn if any of the four points mentioned was causing the trouble, we know of nothing elese except the fracture of a major portion of the steering linkage which could produce such an effect. Apparently nothing in the steering gear was fractured. We have received no report as to what steps were taken to investigate the trouble when it occurred with Mr. Chrylles, we should like to know if an examination was made after this warning before the final crash. We are quite at a loss to understand how a crash of this nature could occur at 50 m.p.h. The most incomprehensible feature of the whole affair is that the steering had done about 4000 miles in its final condition in the hands of experimental drivers, trained to note and report the least trouble, without adverse comment. PN.{Mr Northey} finally compared it favourably with the Riviera Trials cars - (PN{Mr Northey}'s report attached to JSL/E20.3.28). In our experience steerings do not mysteriously alter their characteristics after thousands of miles of running, save from mechanical failure. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||