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).
Tyre failures on the Nairobi Run, suspected to be caused by overloading the vehicle.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 114\4\ scan0137 | |
| Date | 16th June 1937 | |
| 95 1011 S/W. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} re- Tyres on Nairobi Run - 34-EX. Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}1/KW16.6.37 From all the information collected from Dunlops, Mr.Symons and yourselves the inference is that the primary cause of the failures was that the car was overloaded, and we do know that the load on the rear axle was greater than what was allowed for. It seems clear from the evidence that nobody at W. weighed the car in the condition in which it left the Works for Mr.Symons, and that is confirmed by Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry{Shadwell Grylls}9/R20.4.37. which says - " We ourselves never had any opportunity of weighing the complete " car, and are surprised that the rear axle weight should have " come out at over 5000 lbs. Will you therefore please let me know what it was that prevented you from weighing the car before it left. Would not this operation take only a very short while ? Mr.Symons states that the only weight added by him after the car left the Works was his photographic apparatus totalling in all 42 lbs. He says he gave you a rough and ready estimate of an allowance of 4 cwt per man which equals 12 cwt, whereas this estimate he says proved to be on the generous side because the total weight of the three men and equipment was 10 cwts 1 qr. 12 lbs, including rope ladders and shovels. He points out that the car left the Works with all other equipment, including chains, planks for getting out of sand, all spares and tools, extra oil in wooden boxes, 4 tubes, 2 spare wheels and tyres, and of course all the extra tanks for fuel, water, etc. and many extra instruments. Will you therefore please let me have your reply on the question of the car not having been weighed. Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} duel | ||