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).
Secret memorandum on the urgent need to fit front wheel brakes, suggesting the acquisition of a competitor's Hispano car for comparison.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 22\1\ Scan005 | |
| Date | 27th September 1923 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to CJ. c. to RK. X4214 S E C R E T. E.A.C. ETC. FRONT WHEEL BRAKES. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/LG27.9.23. 9940 X.4628 X.1746 X.4214 X.4609. As it would appear, fitting the front wheel brakes as standard on to our cars - whether 40/50 HP. or E.A.C. - is a matter of extreme urgency, we suggest it might be helpful if we obtained a competitors car which is fitted with a good example of front wheel brakes in order that we could get a relative comparison with anything we make. We suggest that we ought to get the latest Hispano car. The reason [crossed out] we suggest the Hispano is because they have fitted front wheel brakes as standard for a number of years and it is a car of which large numbers are run at high speeds on the Continent. Although we may be getting the Isotta, one sees very few of these cars on the road, and therefore they would not have had the experience the Hispano must have had for developing their brakes. We also very often get the Hispano quoted as an example of high speed and powerful chassis. It would be valuable to have one as a comparison for the E.A.C. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||