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 concerning car 98-PK being hit from behind, resulting in a damaged petrol tank.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 181\M10\ img109 | |
| Date | 22th September 1924 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Re 98-PK. I regret to report that I had to leave the above car at Howard's Garage, Bakewell, yesterday afternoon, owing to the Petrol Tank being badly damaged by an arol Johnson car running into it from behind while 98-PK. was stationary. The facts are as follows :- I took the car from the Works on Sunday morning, and at 4.15p.m. I was about a mile from Bakewell, on the Derby side, having covered about 120 miles. There was a hold-up on the road, and I drew up slowly, and stopped completely, at the back of a line of six or eight other vehicles. The queue then moved on about a yard or two and again stopped dead, I pulling up quite normally keeping the same distance from the vehicle in front of me. Some seconds after I had stopped I heard a noise from behind and found the driver of an arol Johnson car behind me had failed to keep his distance, and had pushed his dumb-irons several inches into the Petrol Tank of 98-PK, tearing a hole in the tank, and flooding the road with petrol. The A.J. car is the property of R.{Sir Henry Royce} Doncaster Esq. J.P. of Sandiacre, Notts., and was being driven by his son, Mr. A.{Mr Adams} Doncaster, who immediately admitted that his foot-brake was out of adjustment, and that he was entirely to blame for the damage, and that no possible blame attached to me as he freely admitted that I had pulled up quite gently and was absolutely stationary before he hit the Petrol Tank. He offered to pay damages. I had four passengers in 98-PK. As it was impossible to drive the car further, I got an A.A. man to get a car from Howard's Garage, less than one mile distant, and I had 98-PK. in the Garage about 20 minutes after the damage was done. On examining the foot-brake of the A.J. car I found I could push the brake pedal right down to the footboards with one hand only, which accounts for Mr. Doncaster being unable to pull the car up in time. The Petrol Tank, and aluminium number plate of 98-PK. are the only parts damaged. The A.J. car did not sustain any damage at all. W.R.Chandler | ||