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).
Letter recollecting events of a customs issue regarding a damaged steering column and spare parts at Boulogne and Folkestone.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\1\ scan0190 | |
| Date | 8th February 1938 | |
| 1245 Sr/Go - Franco Britannic Autos Paris Hmt.7/ML.8.2.38. Copy to: Experimental, Derby, and J.A. Behman. With reference to Sr/Go.3/AD.1.2.38, as far as I can recollect the steering column in question was sent out during the earlier part of the trip to replace a damaged steering column when the car was in collision with a van. Gardiner and myself, therefore, must have taken back with us the damaged steering gear. The Customs authority held us up at Boulogne but since the Carnet was somewhat overdue, he merely asked us questions as to where we had kept the car and what we had been doing, and made no enquiry as to the spare parts and bits which we were carrying. At Folkestone, however, the Customs authority glanced through the car and remarked upon the quantity of bits that we had. Since the hour was somewhat late he did not bother to go further and allowed us to proceed. As far as I know, therefore, the Customs authorities never actually saw the steering column and presumably because of that they have assumed that it was never returned to England, and was sold in France. I can assure you, however, that it did actually return to Derby together with spare cylinder head, fan blades, and various other parts, none of which were checked either at Boulogne or at Folkestone. I trust that this information will assist in clearing up the matter, but since the occasion was nearly a year ago it is somewhat hard to recollect exactly what did happen. Hmt. | ||