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).
Letter from India Tyre & Rubber Co. regarding modified tyres to improve cornering ability.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 157\6\ scan0168 | |
| Date | 24th September 1937 | |
| TELEPHONES: PAISLEY 4141/5. INDIA TYRE & RUBBER COMPANY, LTD. INCHINNAN SCOTLAND TELEGRAMS: INDIATYRE, RENFREW. OUR REF. PW/IK. YOUR REF. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls}1/AP. 1326 24th September, 1937. S.H. Grylls, Esq., Rolls-Royce Limited, DERBY. Dear Mr. Grylls, Thank you for your letter of September 23rd regarding the 6.50/17 covers. We are pleased to note that you consider these new tyres satisfactory as regards silence. In connection with the problem of cornering ability, we are sending to you to-day 4 tyres of a slightly modified design in which the centre of the tyre has been made more flexible by a reduction in the amount of rubber in contact with the road and the side grooves have been moved closer to the centre of the tread. This will enable us to put in deeper cuts on the shoulders and although the modification is slight, we expect to get some improvement in cornering. If it would be convenient to you, Dr. Young will visit Derby on Wednesday, 29th instant, and at that time you might be able to carry out tests on the comparative cornering ability of this later design. At the present stage, I do not think it would help if you returned the first set of tyres for modification. We are enclosing the figures for the effective running radius at 90 miles an hour of a 5.50/18 cover and a 6.50/16 cover at the load and pressure which you specify. Yours faithfully, INDIA TYRE & RUBBER COMPANY, LTD. Paul Horritt. Works Manager. | ||