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).
Feasibility and advantages of fitting larger tyres to Bentley models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 158\1\ scan0140 | |
| Date | 28th October 1937 | |
| By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from HM.{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs} Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Ds. Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} Mx.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} HRC. JLE.{J. Lee Evans - Chassis Test Manager} EB. J 1339 2 Photo's missing HmR/R.28.10.37. BIG TYRES ON THE BENTLEY. We attach a memo from the Experimental Dept. covering the large tyres fitted to the Bentley and also a memo from JLE{J. Lee Evans - Chassis Test Manager} referring to tests carried out on a sand pit to ascertain whether the tyres could be made to foul. We believe that from a common sense point of view there is absolutely no necessity to alter the wheel arches on existing bodies or to bother about chains on the front wheels. We consider that the recommendation to fit chains to the front wheels should be deleted from the Bentley instruction book. We have been round the Alps and in America under snowy conditions without every having had a chain on the front wheel. If we accept the wheel arch and the chain situation then we believe there is nothing to prevent us standardising the large tyres. We understand that the small modification required to the front and rear wings can be incorporated without much difficulty and presume that the points relating to the spare wheel and the discs can be dealt with without involving scrap. The advantage which the customer gets out of big tyres is greater comfort and better rideability. We believe that in the future we shall have to revise our standards of the amount of clearance required by the tyre, otherwise we shall handicap ourselves unnecessarily by catering for the 5% of customers who do stupid things. Jaguars have shown what can be gained by making a car for an ordinary individual. We have had two experimental cars running on big tyres for about six months and a customer has been running them on the Continent for a considerable mileage. We have no record of anybody having detected a foul on the wheel arches. Hm.{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs} | ||