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 report detailing a collision with another vehicle caused by brake failure, resulting in the car overturning.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 113\4\ scan0045 | |
| Date | 18th January 1937 | |
| 1002 18.1.37. REPORT ON ACCIDENT TO 6-B-IV. 14.1.37. Rose and myself took over the car at 1.30 p.m. and proceeded in the direction of Angouleme. On the return journey via Limoges and, approximately, 12 miles from Limoges an accident occurred, I was driving the car at the time, the road surface was dry macadam, it was twilight and my side lights were on, the time being 5.10.p.m. Just before the accident I came over the top of a rise at about 70 m.p.h., and after travelling about 50 yds. I noticed a car just about to come out of a side turning on my right about 70 to 80 yds. ahead. I applied the brakes immediately, but could not sound my horn as I was trying to steer clear and pass the other car on the left. The car continued to come out well into the middle of the main road without any lights or sounding his horn and evidently not having looked up or down the road. As the brakes of 6-B-IV did not respond to the extent I anticipated I then increased the pressure when all four wheels locked solid. After skidding 50 yds. I struck the other car a glancing blow on his O.S.F (French O.S.F.) wing, which caused me to skid on to the left soft earth border of the road, and the rear of 6-B-IV fell into a deep ditch. This caused the car to turn over and after doing so struck a telegraph pole, breaking it. The car then came to rest on its wheels with the rear in the ditch. Meanwhile, the other car had been driven out on to the grass verge on the right hand side of the road. The only apparent damage to the other car was a bent wing and a punctured tyre. A.G.Gardiner. | ||