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).
Complaint from America about a cracked steering column tube on chassis 51-UB due to a manufacturing defect.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 38\1\ Scan094 | |
| Date | 23th August 1922 | |
| BY from EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X 3465 EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}4/H23.8.22 RECEIVED 23 AUG 1922 Re. Faulty Steering Column Tube - 51-UB. Mr. H.G.Work (America). X 3465 During my visit to America, I called at Long Island City Service Station, and I was very much alarmed to hear that a customer had complained about his steering, and that on dismantling the steering column they found the steering tube itself cracked, in fact almost entirely broken, and it was very easily broken by hand. I examined the tube and it certainly showed that it had been faultily machined and the bore was very much out of centre, one side of the tube being practically only paper thickness. I obtained a piece of the tube so as to show the fracture above referred to and am sending this sample with your copy of this report. I shall be glad if you will take the matter up and also pass on to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} for inspection. The matter has now come through in the ordinary course as a report from America, in which they are proposing to charge us with the repair, and I am anxious to establish the fact that this is an exception and that there are not likely to be other cars in a similar condition, also that our method of manufacture and inspection at present is such that no cars could be sent out in a similar condition. I shall be glad if you will let me have your remarks on the latter point so that I can record our reply to this complaint. It must be realised of course that the guarantee period of this car has run out, as it is a pre-war car, and Long Island City report that roughly it has done 80,000, but the steering column has never previously been taken down. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} | ||