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).
Sir Henry Segrave's feedback on the Trials 1-WJ car, focusing on its semi-sports capabilities and safety.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 18\3\ Scan034 | |
| Date | 3rd January 1930 | |
| +7960. PN.{Mr Northey}1/WT3.1.30. S/W. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}...from PN.{Mr Northey} Copy to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} WP. You will doubtless bu interested in reading the copies of a report written by Sir Henry Segrave and a letter to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} accompanying it, after he had experienced a few days' use of our Trials 1-WJ. I shall be seeing Sir H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Segrave one day next week, with Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and doubtless points that he has considered worthy of criticism will be discussed, and I shall be glad to have from you, after perusing these papers, any remarks you may think might help such a discussion. My impression is that whilst we set out definitely to produce a luxury car, and have advertised that fact in opposition to any idea that it might be of the semi-sports type, Segrave has considered the car probably 95% from the point of view of a semi-sports user. It is a point of argument I think as to whether it would be possible to manufacture a car which, whilst having all the springing comfort we can achieve at ordinary luxury speeds, i.e. up to 65 m.p.h. could at the same time be found to have the steadiness and solidity of front axle, plus springs, plus shock-absorbers that a racing car or sports model must have, where high speeds on indifferent roads may be the order of the day. You will note that Segrave says that he does not think the "car can be regarded as absolutely safe in its present condition". I think it is probably a fair criticism for the view to be taken that although the car may not be intended as a semi-sports car its design provides for its being able to be run at certain high speeds which might come under the heading of semi-sports conditions, and therefore it should not be possible for the view to be taken that the car would be unsafe when run up to the limits of the maximum speed provided by its design. Then again criticism has been made of the too large difference in ratio between the third gear and direct drive. Do you agree with me that this point of view is only justified for a semi-racing type of chassis, but in our case our third has to do quite ordinary work at low gear speeds such as mountain climbing on quite severe gradients. -1- | ||