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).
Accident with car 15-EX and the procedure for endurance tests in France.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 181\M10\ img060 | |
| Date | 13th April 1928 | |
| Y4199 To BJ. from HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG13.4.28. ACCIDENT TO 15-EX. 48940L Replying to BJ4/Ell.4.28. The procedure as regards the drivers carrying out 10,000 miles tests in France is as follows :- Whenever the car is on the road there are always two expert drivers with it. They are supposed to work the same number of hours per day as we do at the Works i.e. 8.5 hours. During that time the car is expected to cover 250 miles. This means that each driver is expected to drive the car for 125 miles during 8.5 hrs., but he is actually on the car for 250 miles. Never, at any time, has it been laid down that this mileage must be run off irrespective of road conditions. There have been a number of cases, due to fog and tyre troubles, when the mileage has not been completed. The driving of experimental test cars at Chateauroux has now become w quite a standardised job. When the car is running with two shifts and completing 500 miles per day, practically the same roads are covered every day. There are three triangular circuits out of Chateauroux which are used for the tests; the drivers themselves decide which one they take. We know now exactly how long the runs should take and we expect a reasonable excuse from the drivers if they do not run up to time. We have now run approximately 150,000 miles from Chateauroux - during that time there has been one accident; contd :- | ||