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).
Scene of an accident involving a Phantom III on the road from Pithiviers to Etampes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 153\1\ scan0310 | |
| Date | 28th May 1939 | |
| TO BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} FROM DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} COPY. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Sr. Dr. PITHIVIERS TO ETAMPES ROAD STEERING ROCKER SHAFT. PHANTOM 111. As requested, we visited the scene of the accident to the Phantom 3, which occurred on the road from Pithiviers to Etampes about 38 miles from Paris. We attach photographs and a sketch of the scene. It will be seen that there is a steep edge to the tarmac about two to three inches deep on the side of the road on which the P.3. would be travelling to allow the approaching car to pass. The gulley is about 5,000 ins. deep below the side of the road and the bank about 14ins. above. A patch of oil marks the position of the engine when the car came to rest and this was just ten feet from where the front wheel ran into the bank. It is evident that the front of the car stopped almost immediately on contacting with the bank and that the rear of the car swung round; the car finished facing the way from which it came, lying on its side with its wheels facing towards the road. We had a talk to the garage employee from Etampes who collected the car. We understand that the approaching car ran into the P.3. whilst the latter was swinging round. OTHER CAR This particular road is very bad at the sides and particularly at this spot. The camber is severe and at the point of the accident more so due to the erosion. EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} | ||