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).
Testing of Avon tyres as an alternative source to Dunlop, and comparing them to India tyres.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 158\2\ scan0001 | |
| Date | 11th March 1939 | |
| 1339 Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}11/R.11.3.39. TYRES. It will be recollected that some twelve months' ago, when we were having some trouble with the Dunlop Rubber Co. and tyre prices, it was agreed that we should go ahead with Avons, with the object of getting another source of supply. We went ahead on these lines, and have now run two sets of these tyres in France, and carried out a considerable amount of testing on them in England. The Avon Co. went to a great deal of trouble to produce these tyres, which included sending their Chief Engineer over to England. AMERICA Indias have been improving their tyre during this period, but we consider that the final result is that the Avon is the better of the two. Contracts for the supply of tyres will be coming up shortly, and we shall be glad to know what is the policy. There is no doubt whatever that if we pick a tyre purely on merit, we should standardise Avons on the B.V. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||