Specification of switches, instruments, and lamps for the 'Japan III' project, with comparisons to a Humber car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5a\1\ 01-page065 | |
| Date | 26th February 1931 | |
| SECRET. HS {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} x577° To H. {Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Grylls. Esq. Copy to Lord H. {Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Mr. H. {Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} re Japan(Experimental Engine) III. Sg {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} 10/M.S.R.31 26.2.31 I am very anxious that, when this comes through, it should be complete and up-to-date so far as concerns details like switches, instruments, etc. With a view to seeing what other people do, I have, as you know, borrowed Mr.Claremont's new 16/50 Humber car and sent it down to you and others at Fe to see. I am not suggesting for one moment that we should copy the Humber but I do think it is important that we should see how very complete some of these mass production cars are and how well they "dish up" these details for the purchaser. The arrangement for dynamos, lamps and dippers as on the Humber seems extremely attractive. They are all on the steering column central control and by the simple movement of one switch you first of all get (1) half charge; (2) full charge; (3) side and tail lamps; (4) head lamps on and dipped; (5) headlamps undipped. There is, I think, little doubt that on Japan(Experimental Engine) III we shall have to have electrically dipped headlamps as we cannot afford a three lamp scheme and, therefore, an easily operated switch should be incorporated as a feature. Another interesting point is the dashboard petrol gauge. We have a great deal of trouble, as you know, with the Hobson Telegauge. In fact, when going through the list of features with a view to getting at the six worst, some of our people here wanted to put down the Hobson gauge as one of the six. I know nothing about the virtues of the electrically operated one as on the Humber which comes into operation as soon as you switch on your ignition, but it seems to me that we certainly ought to investigate it and any others on the market. On the whole question of instruments I am asking Ox. | ||
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).