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).
Secret internal memo discussing dangerous failures of Avon tyres on the Corniche model and considering standardization with Dunlop tyres.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 98\5\ scan0037 | |
| Date | 1st August 1939 | |
| H509. Secret. -> S/W....Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ------- C11/C1.8.39 Re 14-B-V...Corniche. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and I have seen your Daily Report of the 26th July concerning the tyres, which appear to have thrown their treads at 551 on the front and 35 and 59 on the rear. This is rather appalling information as, of course, such a thing as this can be extremely dangerous. We are wondering what is going to happen with the Avon tyres which, on your recommendation and after a good deal of testing, we have standardised on B-V, as apart from Corniche. It seems pretty obvious that we shall not be able to use Avon tyres, anyway on Corniche. How do you feel about the B-V? This car will not, of course, reach 100 m.p.h. but there is no doubt it will often get very close to it, if it is speed that is the cause of the trouble. We also note that you are trying out Avon tyres on 30-G-7, Silver Phantom. We do not know why you are doing this, because we think it has been made perfectly clear that we do not wish to depart from Dunlops so far as the Rolls-Royce car is concerned. We think, however, you should be trying out some Dunlops in any case, so that we shall know something about the right kind of tyre to standardise when the car is issued. C. | ||