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 breakage on Ferguson's Car 1825, concluding the cause was reckless driving over an exceptional bump.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 77\1\ scan0108 | |
| Date | 17th May 1912 | |
| Copy. X484 17.5.12. Re Breakage on Ferguson's Car 1825. After carefully examining the broken parts which have been returned to the Works, it is quite evident from the distortion of the inner central sphere, that the car had been driven most recklessly and had been subjected to a most exceptional bump, in fact the rebound of the axle away from the car from its normal loaded position must have been at least 10" and I can quite believe that, as Messrs Fergusons say the car left the road "a foot or so". The breakage is solely due to this bump and the consequent excessive motion of axle and frame which caused the propeller shaft to foul the central sphere, evidenced by the distortion of the latter, a thing we have never known to occur before. We have 300 of this type car on the road, several are running in France, and at least one has been driven at over 100 miles per hour and we have never had a failure until now. We have no fears at all that under anything resembling normal conditions of driving such a fracture will not occur again. (sgd) R.W.H.B. Handwritten on left margin: X648 | ||