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).
The investigation into a skidding accident involving the 13-EX car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 181\M10\ img062 | |
| Date | 13th April 1928 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to BJ. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} CWB. X4199 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LG13.4.28. ACCIDENT TO 13-EX CAR. MR. Grylls and CWB. visited the Works yesterday. As E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} and DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} were also at the Works to see 12-EX car before it left for France, we asked them to be present at the conference which also included Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} and Rn.{Mr Robinson} Arising out of the discussion, the following points were arrived at :- (1) The skidding which occurred with Mr. Grylls and with CWB. occurred on wet roads. (2) In neither case was there any apparent reason for the skid starting i.e., the brakes were not applied, neither was the car swerved, or was there any obvious alteration being made to the throttle position. (3) Except for when the actual particular skids referred to occurred, there was no indication on the car that it behaved in any way different from a normal car. CWB. agreed that the road holding qualities of the car, except at the time when the accident occurred, had impressed him as being remarkably good. (4) A complete new set of tyres of the Dunlop buttressed tread type were fitted to this car before it was handed over to PN.{Mr Northey} This precaution was taken although the tyres which were on the car still had a considerable amount of wear left in them. Up to the time of the accident these tyres had run approximately 2500 miles. CWB. considered that for the mileage, the treads of the rear tyres had worn more than one would anticipate but there was still some of the non-skid tread left. (5) It was confirmed by Mr. Grylls and CWB. that the speed of the car both in the case of Mr. Grylls and CWB's skid was approximately 50 m.p.h. With regard to the speed of the car, as the car had travelled at least 50 yds. from the original start of the skid until it struck the tree and also as it skidded completely on the grass at the side of the road, the speed at the time of the impact with the tree must have been considerably less than 50 m.p.h. Contd :- | ||