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).
Critique of Goshawk bodies, detailing issues with fittings and build quality on four different cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 41\3\ Scan167 | |
| Date | 2nd June 1922 | |
| BJ. from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. to R.{Sir Henry Royce} X3730 Hsl/T2.6.22. RE GOSHAWK BODIES X3730 The criticism on Goshawk bodies is not as regards the type of bodies, or booming. The chief criticism is against the fittings and the manner in which the work is carried out. For instance, there has been four cars in France :- 4-Gos.II. with a Hooper open touring body. The wings, valances, and running boards were fitted by R.R.-Hoopers only had to fit the body and hood. None of the doors on the body shut properly - there were times when the passengers had to hold the doors closed. The hood would not stay fixed; the fittings fixing it on to the windscreen were useless; the clips holding the hood down fell off on the first run and were lost; and the hood is fearfully untidy looking. 5-Gos.II. This car was fitted with a Gwynne all-weather body. A number of the joints broke and the doors rattled badly. At the finish of the 10,000 miles it was held together by wire. 6-Gos.II. Open touring body by Mulliner. The wind screen on this car for some reason not known was different from the windscreens fitted to the two previous Mulliner open touring bodies. The top portion of the windscreen was one sheet of glass. The result of this was that when the ca-r was travelling at 50 m.p.h. the glass broke in pieces. This car was turned out with no means of holding the floorboards down and no mats. 7-Gos.II. Maythorne saloon body. The moving portion of the windscreen is one large sheet of glass fixed to the wood rail on the top of the body by means of four screws. When it is closed it rattles the whole time (we have fitted extra screws to prevent this), and one does not feel safe running with it up because it is vibrating the whole time. The worst feature on this body is the fact that it is very difficult to get in and out of the back seats. It is not nearly such a practical body as the one we recently had on the Humber car which was of a similar type. Contd. | ||