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 detailing an accident with a 20 HP car in Switzerland, resulting in a cracked rear axle casing likely caused by icy conditions and extreme cold.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 49\2\ Scan149 | |
| Date | 18th December 1922 | |
| 18th December, 1922. Dear Sirs, Re: Accident to 20 HP. I beg to confirm my telegram of to-day's date reading :- "Middle of rear axle casing Chassis 20 HP 41/G/5 has cracked in touching stone. Send urgent grande vitesse or preferably in two postal packets two halves of the casing and the back plate of the carter. The "trompettes" are not damaged". I notice from your Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}10/BM/XG/15.12.22. that you have understood my telegram very well and I now await the necessary parts to replace the broken rear axle casing. The mechanic which you inform me is being sent, has not yet arrived with the promised parts. In order to explain to you a little this accident, I give below some details. As you are no doubt aware, at this time of the year in Switzerland the roads are sufficiently dangerous, due to snow and ice which in certain places, transforms the roads into skating rinks. In manoeuvring the car backwards, in order to turn to retrace my road, the Chassis skidded at the rear and the twin rear springs, (jumelles de ressort arriere ?) touched a guard stone or curb at the end edge of the road. The shock was not very great seeing that the rear springs show no trace of a mark, but the impact, feeble though it was, reverberated direct to the rear axle and the aluminium casing of same, broke exactly like a glass. I draw your attention to the fact that at the time, the temperature was about 12 degrees below zero and I wonder if this cold has not influenced the resistance of the aluminium. In my opinion, this axle should not have given way in such a case as this, because if this is so, then we shall often have surprises to report. For your information, the mechanical parts of the rear axle have not received the slightest damage and the rear axle itself was just as silent as previously. Further, I continued to drive on, after having justified myself that all the various moving parts were in perfect condition. Yours..... | ||