Secret and urgent memo regarding an accident involving Chassis No. 21-EM during testing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan124 | |
| Date | 13th May 1935 | |
| SECRET AND URGENT. X4117 Re Chassis No..21-EM - Mrs Goring. Wor. {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} HS. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} D {John DeLooze - Company Secretary} /L4/B13-5-35. This car has met with an accident whilst being tested by an "N" Department driver (Smutch). We attach copy of a letter from Mr Claremont to BJ dated May 8th. What Smutch said in his report was that he was driving at about 30 m.p.h. and having passed an electric cable drum which was on the nearside of the road, he pulled further into the nearside and applied his footbrake hard, and although the road was perfectly dry the car took a sharp turn to the nearside as if the nearside front wheel had locked, and for the moment it became uncontrollable with the result that his nearside front wheel struck an electric standard and threw both front wheels and the nearside rear wheel on to the pavement, and before he could regain control of the car he struck a lamp post. BJ. says this matter needs careful investigation by the Technical Department at the Works at the earliest possible moment, and asks us to refer the matter to Wor {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} , BY, and HS {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} , for consideration. Would you kindly let us have duplicate reports as quickly as possible, as negotiations are proceeding on the question of liability. D. {John DeLooze - Company Secretary} L. | ||
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).