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 from Rolls-Royce America to the UK regarding the order and specifications of Disteel wheels and hubs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 78\2\ scan0024 | |
| Date | 16th August 1920 | |
| [Header Form Number] R.R. 199 (250T) (SDG76 19-7-17) MP18086S [handwritten] X4158 C c o p y. [handwritten] 3 OY15-G.16820. August 16, 1920. Mr. Claude Johnson, Managing Director, Rolls-Royce Limited, 15- Conduit Street, London, England. Dear Sir:- Re Disteel Wheels. Referring to your order of July 17th, for a set of six Disteel wheels, we have already on order from this concern two sets of wheels, having intended to send one to you in England and retain one here for use on the demonstration car. We do not consider these wheels equal to the Budd-Mechelin either in design or in weight, but in view of the cancellation of the Mechelin wheels, in Europe we thought it best to develop a Disteel wheel which we could fit at the request of customers. The Disteel wheels which we shall ship you will have hub shells which will fit directly over the ball bearings used at present with wire wheels, the wheels, that is to say, will be detachable at the hub flange according to the standard Disteel method. I mentioned this in case you might suppose that we were having Disteel wheels made to fit on the serrated inner hubs used with wire wheels. This latter method was proposed by the makers but was turned down by us on account of weight. DISTEEL HUBS. We are at present finishing machining the first set of Disteel hubs, which we will ship you with a set of wheels as soon as they are completed. Very truly, ROLLS ROYCE AMERICA, INC. Per - (SGD) M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Olley. MO/G CC. Mr. Manning. | ||