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).
Design of mud shields, bodywork, and running boards to prevent mud spray and improve vehicle access.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 117\1\ scan0294 | |
| Date | 6th January 1939 | |
| -2- Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FD.{Frank Dodd - Bodies}1/JH.6.1.39. so far as we can see at the moment, is the best compromise. Various metal shields have been tried, but it boils down to how near one can afford to go to the ground; and metal shields are damaged easily. We have on order some Suprax rubber material which is claimed to be excellent for mud flaps. It is a homogeneous-rubber compound made under a special process which renders the material waterproof. The makers claim it will not fray, tear, and is unaffected by sunshine, rain, snow and frost. With or without mudguards, it is difficult for a lady to enter the rear of a modern sports 4 door body without catching her clothes on the front edge of the rear mudguard. This therefore calls for attention, and the only solution we can offer is to fit a shield, shaped to the wing, to the rear edge of the rear door, to be sealed by rubbers in the closed position, so that a clean leading face to the wing would be exposed when the door is opened. The shield itself we suggest should be polished stainless steel, or steel chromium plated, aluminium is often fitted as a shield to the rear wings where the running board is left off, but being soft, gets badly pock marked and sand blasted after a period of service. The modern tendency is of course to make very wide bodies, this leaves only a small portion of the rear wing exposed and should offer less difficulty with regard to shielding. With regard to the front doors we are better off without running boards, access to the car being much easier. From a cleanliness point of view, the door is equally as good as one where a running board is fitted. As previously stated, heavy mud centres on the rear wing, and spray starts midway along the front door, getting worse towards the rear of the body. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FD.{Frank Dodd - Bodies} | ||