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).
Trial car crash due to headlamp failure, proposing a separate fuse for each headlamp on Bentley cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 61a\3\ scan0161 | |
| Date | 17th December 1935 | |
| (Handwritten) WST 86116. (Handwritten) HB{C. E. Harcombe} To-E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} FROM Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} re Bentley. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}2/E17.12.35 Copy to W.or.Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}C (Handwritten) seen This last week-end we have had one of our trials cars badly smashed up as the result of a black-out of the headlamps. We have had similar complaints from one or two customers. It is something to be very greatly dreaded and feared and, if it once happens to one, I think one's confidence in night driving would be lost if it were [text struck through] known that the blowing of one fuse would put out both one's headlamps. On a car such as the Bentley this is particularly dangerous because of the speed. I think we ought to take steps immediately to introduce a second fuse somewhere, even if it cannot go in the main fusebox, so that the headlamps are wired up on two separate fuses. Would you please go into the matter and let me know what can be done. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||