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 to Park Ward & Co. Ltd. detailing the results of mud flap and running board tests on a Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 97\5\ scan0184 | |
| Date | 25th May 1939 | |
| EXPERIMENTAL DEPARTMENT. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FD.{Frank Dodd - Bodies}1/JH. 25th. May, 1939. Messrs. Park Ward & Co.Ltd., 473 High Road, Willesden, LONDON.N.W.10. Dear Sirs, With reference to your memo. of the 17th. inst. Our tests were carried out on a Bentley with running board fitted to one side, and the small valance and special front wing on the other side of the car. We found that on wet main roads both sides of the car got equally dirty. Spray blown from the wing edges and tyres is responsible for this. On second class roads where there is plenty of loose mud, the mud flaps were a definite advantage in shielding the rear wing face and door. It is agreed that when only the rear wing shield is used we protect the wing face but this does not assist in keeping down the mud and stones thrown up by the front tyres. There is no doubt that for all round conditions where a car is minus running boards a mud flap and protectors on the rear wing face are necessary. 10.B.V. Bentley with Coupe body now at your Works is fitted with some simple rubber mud flaps, we suggest you look these over from an appearance point of view. Yours faithfully, FOR ROLLS-ROYCE LTD. | ||