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).
Customer complaints regarding the springing of the 40/50 HP chassis, comparing thick and thin leaf springs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 180\M1\6\ img020 | |
| Date | 10th November 1921 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to CJ. c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} c. to PN.{Mr Northey} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} c. to R.R. Inc. (EWT.) EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} X2628 X3745 (Handwritten) Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} CLASSIC ON SPRINGING (Stamp) ORIGINAL. (Handwritten) a CUSTOMER'S COMPLAINTS SPRINGING OF 40/50 H.P. CHASSIS. X3461 We doubt very much whether the percentage of complaints as regards the riding of our cars is any greater now than it was pre-war. If we fit thin leaf springs we return to a springing identical to the pre-war cars. We had quite a large number of complaints with the springing on these cars and it was partly to overcome the complaints that the thick leaf spring was designed so that it should have less inherent friction. In our opinion we shall never satisfy individual customers with one standard of springing. Changing the thick leaf springs to the thin leaf springs will not, we are sure, prevent us having customers dissatisfied with the springing of their car. As an example of the wide range of the variation of individual customers' likes as regards springing. We have recently had a customer who possesses a pre-war car fitted with thin leaf springs and a post-war car fitted with thick leaf springs. He is so delighted with the springing of the car fitted with the thick leaf springs that he has actually paid to have the thin leaf springs removed from his pre-war car and thick leaf springs fitted. On the other hand, we have had another Owner with a post-war car fitted with thin leaf springs who has complained of his springing and before we could overcome his particular complaint it was necessary to fit re-shock absorbers of the single-stage type giving a constant co. | ||