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).
The failure of spring plates in the front bumper on a Bentley Chassis B.196.DG.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\1\ scan0258 | |
| Date | 30th May 1938 | |
| 1245 To Bentley Motors Ltd. Derby............. By [crossed out] Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Copy to ......... Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} [crossed out] Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} Ed.{J. L. Edwards} Levallois Sr/VA.IO/ET.30.5.38 [Handwritten: LFS Your recommendations Pm.] Re: FAILURE OF SPRING PLATES OF FRONT BUMPERS ON BENTLEY CHASSIS (Chassis B.196.DG - MR. DAUBREE) ------------------------------------------------ Please find below translation of an extract from a letter dated 24th instant, which we have received from Mr. Dau-brée and which you will find self explanatory. " Last Sunday, when returning from Clermont (France) " to Turin and between Lyon and Bourg, my front " bumper broke. I was at the time travelling at 130 " K.P.H., but fortunately the bumper only rubbed " along the ground without doing any damage to the " chassis or the bodywork." The damaged bumper has been returned to us for examination and we find that the two top spring plates have broken across the outer elongated hole on the off side, through which the securing clip passes. This caused the off side end of the bumper to drop and scrape along the ground. There are distinct traces of this, because the castellated nut as fitted to the extreme end of the bumper is badly damaged. The car is fitted with safety clips. We ordered from Works on the 25.3.38, two latest type bumpers as mentioned in Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/LRS2/R.22.3.38, which have not yet arrived. Had we been in possession of them, we should, under the circumstances, have sent one to this owner. Apart from the failures mentioned in Owner's Complaint Reports Nos. P.82 and P.84, the top spring plate has also failed on chassis B.36.HK{Col. T. Harker - Sales} (Mr. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} Desurmont). We consider the failure of two spring plates to be highly dangerous. This, however, is the first time that we have known it happen. Sr/VA. [Signature] | ||