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 Dunlop explaining the use of British Oak over American Hickory for wheel spokes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\4\ Scan012 | |
| Date | 7th December 1911 | |
| DUNLOP RIM & WHEEL Co., LTD. CONTINUATION SHEET NO. "2" did not continue to use them for the reasons stated above. Although the writer has manufactured many thousands of wheels in no case has he seen a broken wheel which has given way when the spokes were made of Oak, that a like instance would not have occurred if the spokes had been made of hickory. One of the chief reasons why the Americans manufacture more wheels in hickory, is owing to the fact that it is the only timber in their country which meets the conditions, and it is well known that American Oak is most brittle and quite unsuitable for the purpose of motor wheels, but the climatic conditions of America are entirely different from the conditions of this country, consequently they do not experience the same trouble with hickory as we would do, and again the vehicles the Americans manufacture are not constructed to last for as many years as those of British construction. We trust we have made ourselves clear, but if not we shall be pleased to go into the matter further. We also wish to point out that we are not in a position to supply you with wheels made with spokes of any other timber but carefully selected British Oak. Yours faithfully. For The Dunlop Rim & Wheel Co.Ltd. [Stamp: RECEIVED 7 DEC 1911] | ||