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).
Strategic advantages of developing new 6 and 8 cylinder engines and chassis, referencing competitors.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 69\4\ scan0099 | |
| Date | 13th September 1926 guessed | |
| (2) (7) There would be little or no difference to the length of the bonnet owing to certain economies being possible, but there would be an advantage of more room sideways. (8) Another and great advantage in such a scheme would be that we could still supply a chassis with a 6 cyl. engine made of the same parts, and this would tend largely to reduce the cost of construction by increasing the manufacturing possibilities, because many of the same parts for the 6 and 8 cyl. engines could be used, for instance, valves, and all the fittings belonging thereto - pistons, con. rods, bores, halftime gears, clutch, flywheel, starter motor, and dynamo. The difficulty of the situation is increased by the fact that our 20HP. cyl. sizes are hardly large enough in an 8 cyl. engine to produce a chassis equal to our 40HP., and it would be necessary to adopt a cyl. bore of about 3¾" X 5½" stroke, which would give a chassis of 30HP. for the 6 cyl., and 40HP. for the 8 cyl., but this fact ought not to deter us from adopting a policy which appears to me to be not only right, but if we wish to maintain our premier position, unavoidable. I am aware that it is a costly proposition, and leave it for the consideration of the Board to decide whether it should be included in the chassis known as EAC. 7., or for a future move. My own policy would be to die ruined by expenditure, rather than go stale and be ruined by inaction. We might out-do some of our difficult competitors - Hispano, Bentley, Renault, by this move. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||