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).
Sir Henry Segrave's report on his Phantom II, covering issues with petrol consumption, tyres, shock absorbers, and wheel wobble.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\6\ Scan009 | |
| Date | 11th August 1930 | |
| Handwritten top: Hives Voted EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} - Take it you are matching this car in hand & doing in Int. Dept. to test on arrival & finish. His remarks very good - confirms our own criticisms. Whatever features considered ok. - suggest consider for standard. EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} 15/3/30 Handwritten left margin: Now generally conceded for new cars, but for some reason our inner tubes not covers Typed text: X7518. To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} re Sir Henry Segrave. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}12/E11.8.30 80-WJ. He writes as follows:"I am enclosing you herewith a form on which I have indicated the work to be done on my Phantom II when it is returned to your Works at the request of Derby as per their letter to me of the 5th instant. It occurs to me that you may wish to have a report for private circulation only, on this subject so I am attaching one herewith." I understand that you will be dealing with this so I am sending the papers to you. With regard to the report there are several very interesting things in this, and I hope that you will discuss the main points with the other technical officials, and in particular E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} and DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}: 1. Petrol consumption. The question of this being so much worse in London even than his sports Hispano Suiza seems worthy of serious investigation. 2. With regard to India tyres and his remarks, curiously enough, although I have never had a word with him on the subject, his views agree almost entirely with my own, India tyres are coming more and more to the front. They are being fitted to all and sundry makes of cars, and I understand from Major Grigg and Captain Bowman of the Car Mart, who are distributors for them for London and a large area, that we are the only firm who have anything to say about their creating difficulties on their chassis. 3. Re shock absorbers, his remarks in regard to inability to adjust our shock absorbers seem to me to be very much to the point and to contain a criticism which is well worthy of the serious attention of our Design Dept. 4. As regards his complaint of wheel wobble or jellying I assume that it will not be possible for us to embody any important modification because at the date you have his car none of the new schemes which I understand DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} and EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} have been working on for some time will have been tested. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Enc. Sir Henry Segrave's Form and report. | ||