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).
Driver's report from Le Canadel, France, detailing tyre sourcing, high-speed performance, steering feel, and engine piston rattle.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 157\5\ scan0004 | |
| Date | 20th February 1920 | |
| X 3926 Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence, 20.2.20. Mr. Hives, Experimental Dept. Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., Derby. X. 3743. FE 2. EX CAR. X. 963 1/2 I have been to Nice to-day to take some petrol so that I shall be sure of some on Monday when I pass on the way to Mentone. While there I enquired about tyres and was informed that it took anything up to two and half months for goods to come down from Paris unless they were accompanied, so I thought it would be hopeless waiting here for tyres from Derby or even Paris, and bought the only 895 x 150 tyre Nicordemi had in stock. It is a Dunlop groved type complete with tube and they will probably be able to give me news of another on Monday. If you have not already despatched the tyres I wired for, I think it would be as well, in view of the transport difficulties, if you kept them back. The weather was much too bad on the outward journey to do any fast driving, but on the return I got up to sixty five once or twice and found the steering very good and also very easy to hold. This was on a good surface on a straight and level road. X.3926 The N.S. rear tyre was a grooved Dunlop and the O.S. was a steel studded Dunlop. With regard to the steering with the Goodyears on the rear, I noticed for some time that the steering seemed to be gradually improving as the treads wore down, but thought the real reason was that I was becoming more accustomed to the car. X 3957 When running at high speed to-day I noticed the pistons rattled rather badly; more so when the temperature was 90°C or over. T.H. Maddocks. R R.{Sir Henry Royce} 235 a (100 T) (S.F.'S) 846 6-8-19 G 2460 | ||