| Author | Message | ||
     Alan Dibley Frequent User Username: alsdibley Post Number: 270 Registered: 10-2009 |
I offered this story to the RREC magazine and the local club magazine, and it was never published, so:- In the mid-80s (I can not remember the date, but it was sunny) we - my wife and I - were sitting in a taxi on Horse Guards Parade in London, stuck in a queue of traffic heading towards Parliament Square. The vehicle in front was a Rolls Royce which I now recognise as a Spirit. The Spirit started to move off but slowed after a few yards then stopped, and the rear tyres began to smoke, until the rear of the car was totally hidden by blue rubber fog. As the fog cleared the park on the left was lined with tourists - mostly oriental - snapping away on their cameras. Next a chauffer got out of the car looking discombobulated, then a formally-dressed man and woman exited, the chap had a word with the driver, and the couple set off on foot in the direction of the river. Our taxi driver got out for a look and said he could see that the traffic was moving so pulled out and overtook the Rolls - and we saw the line of cars in close formation that it had gathered in a long heap. There were six or seven cars in a very nose-to-tail group which the Rolls (6.75 litre V8 + torque-converter in 1st gear) had gathered up before the combined weight and braking power had defeated to tyre-to-tarmac grip and produced the fog-bank. I assume that the tyres were now glued to the road. There was a Ford estate car and a big Volvo saloon in the pile - it was over so quick that I have little more memory of the details. There were confused/puzzled drivers and passengers looking at the wrecks. The taxi driver offered the theory that the cruise-control had clicked on by accident, fault or mistake. I don't know, but I can imagine the driver turning round to talk to his passengers and nudging something??? And I can understand his confusion until he thought of turning off the ignition, because the rear brakes were not enough to stop the (quietly) screaming engine. There it is. As I titled it - "Once in a lifetime" at most. Discuss. Alan D. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 3102 Registered: 06-2009 |
My only comment is that if the brakes were indeed unable to halt the rear wheels in that circumstance then the brakes were not maintained correctly. The brakes on any car have been for many decades now, designed to be able to hold a car stationary under full engine load (for an automatic, of course). I agree it would be a once in a lifetime thing. Brian | ||
| michael vass Frequent User Username: mikebentleyturbo2 Post Number: 690 Registered: 07-2015 |
Panicked and stood on the throttle instead of the brake I recon. Mike | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3822 Registered: 04-2003 |
I doubt it would have been the cruise control as heavy accelerator pressure consistent with that used on the brake pedal in an emergency stop would have been needed to result in the damage described in the article. Definitely a "panic stop" that went wrong IMHO. |
