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 Rapson tyres, comparing their cost, mileage, and weight against Dunlop tyres.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\1\ Scan008 | |
| Date | 22th December 1920 | |
| X.1238 EFC W/S. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/TMW. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/TMW5/LG22.12.20. X 1238 RE. RAPSON TYRES. We note your remarks with reference to the above tyres in your H3/TB21.12.20; and in regard to point 2. we certainly shall continue to test the tyres until the end of their lives, but we thought the figures of the cost of the Dunlop and Rapson tyres would be interesting to you inasmuch as the Rapson tyre is almost double the outlay and would be expected to last almost double the mileage, which is doubtful. With reference to the last paragraph on the unsprung weight and vibration, we should say it would be better to impress upon customers our anxiety for their riding in comfort rather than allowing them to think that any tyres would be detrimental to the Cars' back axle or its' gears, which we do not think would really suffer to any extent with the slightly extra weight of Rapson tyres. [STAMP] EFC DEH/S TMW 30 DEC 1920 RECEIVED. | ||