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).
Provision of a suitable car for Mr. Rapson's tyre test to ensure a good performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 41\4\ Scan134 | |
| Date | 2nd June 1920 | |
| S/W. COPY. C19/H2.6.20. RE CAR FOR MR. RAPSON. Hsl/LG27.5.20 - 1.EX is evidently the car we meant when we were referring to the one that had been sold to Messrs. Woodhead, Jonas & Sons. We quite agree that Rapson should not have an experimental car. This was not the intention. What we wanted to do was to send a car which was likely to put up a better performance than the chassis turned out by us in 1915. As regards the last paragraph of your memo, we certainly do not want to run on Rapson Tyres; but the point is that Rapson had entered the Rolls-Royce car to test his tyres and other goods and this being the case, Mr. Johnson decided that we must do everything we can to ensure the car going through alright, for which our own sake, rather than ignoring Rapson, who might put in a car which would put up a bad performance. Mr. Johnson's instructions are that we should certainly do all we can to help him to win. We think perhaps it would be as well for you to ask Mr. Whitehead if he sees any objection to this arrangement. We do not think we have given any undertaking to deliver this to Messrs. Woodhead until we have finished with it. Mr. Whitehead might confirm this. C. E JUN RECEIVED | ||