Rolls-Royce Archives
         « Prev  Box Series  Next »        

Purchase of a La Salle car to test its synchro-mesh gearbox, with comparisons to Cadillac, Lincoln and Graham-Paige.


Identifier  ExFiles\Box 22\4\  Scan013
Date  23th July 1929
  
S/W {Sales / Derby Works} Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}

To H. {Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} from Sg. {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}
c. to HS. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}
c. to E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer}
c. to G. {Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp}

Sg {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} 15/D23.7.29.

Re: La {L. A. Archer} Salle.

Referring to E1/M22.7.29, I understand that although arrangements had been made for the La {L. A. Archer} Salle Car to be purchased it is not too late to make an alteration. I think there was the double purpose of acquiring this car, i.e., the engine in connection with the private venture civil aero engine and the gearbox in connection with synchro-mesh, and I note that R. {Sir Henry Royce} would now like a Cadillac and Lincoln tried before a decision is taken.

Mr. de Salamanca is over here for the Show and he was telling me on Sunday that the Graham-Paige has a very excellent form of simple change speed, which in his opinion was superior to the La {L. A. Archer} Salle.

CMB., who was with me to-day, and who has just returned from America, tells me that the device on the La {L. A. Archer} Salle and Cadillac would not stand up under ordinary use in this Country. He also mentioned that if we wished to try the Graham-Paige it would not really be necessary to buy a car because we could easily buy a Warner gearbox from the Warner Engineering Company as it is this gearbox that contains the feature referred to.

Sg. {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}
  
  
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).


Copyright Sustain 2026, All Rights Reserved.    whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙