Secret memo discussing the construction of a new 20/25 car with a saloon body for testing and as a sample for the 'U' Series.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5a\1\ 01-page187 | |
| Date | 29th July 1931 | |
| SECRET. Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Vonn S/W. {Sales / Derby Works} To Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Sg. {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} c. to Wor. {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to BY. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Da {Bernard Day - Chassis Design} /Er. re 20/25. Sg {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} 12/D29.7.31. You will remember that when you were in London with 19-G-4 (the car for 10,000 mile test with drop radiator), you told me that R. {Sir Henry Royce} wanted a 20/25 to take to the South of France with him this year and that you thought it would be a good idea if we built up a car with one of the close-coupled Saloon type of bodies for this purpose. I have been following the matter up and discussing it with Ev. {Ivan Evernden - coachwork} , who, in turn, mentioned it to R. {Sir Henry Royce} I am quite keen that this should be done, so long as it is clear that the car will not be fitted with anything that cannot be fitted to 'U' Series, i.e. chassis to follow the second half of 'T', except possibly the synchro-mesh gearbox. The idea is that this car would serve a double purpose. First, it will serve the purpose of a sample complete car of this type bodied on the lines of the 40/50 Continental Touring Saloon, and secondly, it will be a sample of what we hope to build for 'U' Series. There is just one point about fitting this car with synchro-mesh and that is, that as the matter is of such great importance, I do not want us to arrive at a position whereby the one and only box that we are likely to get through in good time will be taken away from the Experimental Dept. down to Le Canadel(Henry Royce's French residence), where it would not have intensive use. However, this particular point is one which we can discuss at our first meeting after the holidays. Meanwhile, the general idea can be got on with and the construction of the chassis started. I assume that practically all the material will be taken from 'T' Series? Dealing generally with the specification, the position is as follows:- ENGINE: It is agreed that there should be no change in this, i.e. the same as 'China(Experimental Engine)', plus only such mods. as we want to introduce on 'T' Series and on 'U' Series, | ||
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).