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).
On the poor ride quality and mechanical issues of a Bentley tested on pavé roads in France.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 82\2\ scan0090 | |
| Date | 16th July 1934 | |
| 465539 Hotel de France, Châteauroux. Indre. France. To HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RM.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} From G.W.H. 16th July 1934. We have received your memos. The specification of the car is wrong and is practically useless. We note the remarks re steering effects on the Belgian pavé, which we are acquainted with. My impressions coming over were, that this Bentley was the worst I had driven for riding like a truck over the pavé. No horn was needed to warn persons of your approach. The bonnet and wings created a terrible din. No control of the dampers made any difference, only that with the minimum control the front springs took control and pitched with their natural frequency. We have since made a 15% cure by lining the bottom edge of the bonnet with Sorbô rubber. The bonnet also knocked sideways. We did not experience any bad joggles of the steering wheel, but the pavé is definitely worse in Belgium than that which we met with. The worst stretch of pavé that I know of, is from Versailles to Sèvres. We have broken the inner and outer springs of N°I valve. Upon examination we find that the two bottom coils have been choc-ing and a pronounced flat has been worn; the remaining coils of the springs show no sign of having been choc-a-bloc. I have since carried out a test with our steering over a bad stretch of road and the steering joggles are bad when using minimum damping. They are passable with the maximum damping which also gave steadier riding of the car. G.W.Hancock. G.W.H. | ||