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).
Preventing car theft and a comparison of different wheel types, including wire, disc, and wood.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 42\4\ Scan129 | |
| Date | 9th December 1919 | |
| X.3894 By Dec 9/19 Contd. -4- Rolls-Royce cars are not likely to be stolen in the way suggested by Col. Barrington, by towing them away, since such a possession would be a white elephant to any chief. The danger is that they may be used by bank theives, &c. for making a quick "get away". For such purposes a Rolls-Royce is particularly suitable, and such occurrences are quite common, especially in the middle west. The course proposed we think forms a perfect safeguard against such theft, especially if the back of the instrument board switch is covered in that the terminals are inaccessible. X.3894 Wheels. It was agreed that at the moment we know of no rim-design superior to the Goodyear or Firestone, but that further investigation and experiment in England may lead to the use of another type. It was agreed that over here we must be prepared to fit any of three types of wheels :- (1) Wire wheels with loose-flange rims (either Goodyear or Firestone or improved type) not detachable. (2) Disc wheels with loose-flange rims, as above, not detanhable. (3) Wood wheels with loose-flange detachable rims of Goodyear, Firestone or other types. Wire wheels are preferred by a few customers because of appearance but are disliked by many because of difficulty of cleaning, and cutting of spokes on curbs. X.4158a/b Disc wheels are slowly increasing in polularity here. The Disteel wheel however, which is the one almost universally used, has no adequate way of preventing rotational slack between the disc and the hub. We think the Michelin wheel with a detanhable flange rim is likely to be the most popular. Wood wheels are still preferred by a large proportion of customers, because of the light weight and compactness of the spare rims, and their general satisfactoriness in service. (We are interested in wooden disc wheels of which a set has been ordered. We are only awaiting hubs from England to have them made.) Contd. | ||