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).
Confidential letter from an automobile wheel supplier offering a test car for inspection to demonstrate wheel durability.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 137\5\ scan0216 | |
| Date | 28th January 1939 | |
| Fred.W.Barker AUTOMOBILE . WHEELS . TELEGRAMS . . WHEELS, STOURBRIDGE TELEPHONE . . 57118 STOURBRIDGE OLDSWINFORD STOURBRIDGE ENGLAND CONFIDENTIAL. January the 28th. 39. Your Ref. RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GRY.{Shadwell Grylls}2/MH.{M. Huckerby} Messrs. Rolls Royce Ltd. Derby. Dear Sirs, Further to my letter of the 27th. inst. it has occurred to me that it may be an advantage to you to inspect one of my test Carswhich happens to be up North this week end, and I am writing to my Driver (Mr. Shawe) to call at yourworks on Monday morning for this purpose. I have no use for the man--inventor or otherwise who uses "ifs" and "buts" about a job, but in this caseI am bound to ask your consideration in submitting to you a test Car which is further away from the Rolls than the proverbial 41st. cousin. (1) This particular Car is an 8 H.P.Morris. It has been driven approx'ly 140.000 miles since April 1935 without being held up a single day. (2) It has been subject to, as Mr. Shawe will explain, all kind of rough usage including towing big Cars, carrying overloads, and every other test of a stressing nature we have been able to put it to, simply and solely for the purpose of finding out any weak points. (3) Only 8 tyres have been used in the 3 3/4 years, during which its daily average mileage is 100 miles a day. (4) The wheels are hand spun from thingauge material, and we have often purposely run them absurdly out of truth for testing purposes, simply to test out a principle on which I have been engaged for many years which is connected with several patents of mine. I know your wheel very well and was as a matter of fact indirectly associated with Mr. Wright when it was evolved at the Dunlop works many years ago. The I.C.I. Company are interested in the flexes and their Engineers are watching the job closely. Please compare the job with that illustrated in this weeks' Autocar (page 156) and I think you will visualise its possibilities when made and designed properly. Yours Faithfully, Fred W. Barker | ||