Logistics of fitting Hooper and Mulliner bodies to a Goshawk chassis and a debate over the radiator cap design.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 41\3\ Scan060 | |
| Date | 29th December 1921 | |
| W/S {Derby Works / Sales} C. from Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X4219 (crossed out) X3730 Hsl/LG29.12.21. GOSHAWK(Aero Engine)(Codename for 20HP Car / Aero Engine after Kestrel(Aero Engine)) 11. CHASSIS. X180 We shall have a Goshawk(Aero Engine)(Codename for 20HP Car / Aero Engine after Kestrel(Aero Engine)) chassis ready next week for fitting one of the covered bodies to. We had in mind that the Hooper Limousine would be well advanced and ready for fitting. We propose making use of your suggestion of sending the car to Cricklewood and we shall rely on you to make the necessary arrangements there for the car to be kept secret. We do not wish to send the chassis until the body is absolutely ready for fitting and we then can only spare the chassis for a week at the outside. Will you please let us know whether the Hooper Body is ready for fitting and also whether the job can be done at Cricklewood, if not, where? and whether the car can be sent back in a weeks time. We should like to know whether the Mulliner Body has been sent to Derby. If not, when will it be sent? Referring to your memo, asking for various radiator caps and suggestions for altering the appearance of the Goshawk(Aero Engine)(Codename for 20HP Car / Aero Engine after Kestrel(Aero Engine)), I am afraid we cannot give you much help because the policy appears to us to be very inconsistent. Originally, we had on the Goshawk(Aero Engine)(Codename for 20HP Car / Aero Engine after Kestrel(Aero Engine)) a very definite difference in the radiator cap, we were told it spoilt the R-R appearance of the car and that we ought never to fit such a thing. The Goshawk(Aero Engine)(Codename for 20HP Car / Aero Engine after Kestrel(Aero Engine)) radiator was made with a radius instead of sharp corners like the 40/50 H.P. We were told that on no account should we depart from the R-R characteristic of square corners. From an efficiency point of view, it was suggested to fit shutters on to the front of the radiator which would be quite a distinctive feature on this car and need not be necessarily ugly; this has also been turned down. We suggest that we send the chassis the Cricklewood we could send at the same time the different radiator caps and radiators which we have so that they could be judged by the Sales Dept. We think it is far better to judge the appearance of a complete proper car than it is on a dummy car. Will you please let us know whether you wish us to do this. Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||
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).