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).
Committee's recommendation to purchase a used Delage car to study its 4-wheel braking system.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 21\4\ Scan085 | |
| Date | 1st December 1921 | |
| CJ. from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X3525 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LG1.12.21. X3525 X4219 Referring to the attached ref. CJ18/E29.11.21. The recommendation to buy the Delage car came from a Committee comprised of - PN{Mr Northey}, EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}, HY{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}, Rg{Mr Rowledge} and Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} You will remember this Committee was formed at the Derby Conference held on the 27th. October. All of the cars exhibited at the "Olympia" were examined and trials runs were obtained on the Delage, Fiat and De-Dietrich. The conclusion of this Committee was that there were very few cars which were of the same class and capacity as the Goshawk. It was considered that the Delage would be the nearest competitor as a high-class chassis on the price basis. Another point which made us choose the Delage Car was the fact that it is fitted with 4-wheel brakes and also because the Delage Company have sold many more cars with 4-wheel brakes than all the other makers fitting 4-wheel brakes put together. Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} and myself had a trial run on the Delage car which has been purchased. The most interesting point was the fact that the 4-wheel brakes on the car were useless. The 4-wheel brakes on the Delage car which was tried at "Olympia" behaved perfectly. We considered it was very much to our interest to find out how it was that the 4-wheel brakes on a Delage which had only run 3,000 miles, were useless. We talked this matter over with Mr. Royce and came to the conclusion that for our purpose it was better for us to buy a car in which the newness had been worn off, so that we could get a better idea of what the car would be like after it had got into the customers hands. We think that the chief information we shall obtain from the Delage is in connection with the 4-wheel braking. As it has been proposed for us to fit 4-wheel brakes as quickly as possible we think it is very necessary for us to have a car like the Delage in order to anticipate some of the pitfalls in connection with the 4-wheel braking. We have in mind that we may possibly remove the front axle and brakes from the Delage and fit them up on to one of our 40/50 chassis so that we can get a quick test of the 4-wheel brakes on one of our cars. It is not proposed to keep the Delage Car any longer than it is thought necessary. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||