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).
Letter regarding the discontinuation of the mercury gauge due to high material costs and its replacement with a new model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 75\2\ scan0189 | |
| Date | 21th January 1927 | |
| 44039 THE O.{Mr Oldham} S. Speedometer Co. LTD. 3-6. Alfred Place, Tottenham Court Road, London, W.C.1. Code used: BENTLEY'S A.B.C. 5TH EDITION. Reference: PP/EM/99. SPEEDOMETERS, MILEAGE RECORDERS, MOTOR CLOCKS, TACHOMETERS, PETROL GAUGES, AND BICYCLE SPEEDOMETERS. O.S. Telephone: MUSEUM 1601 AND 1602. Cables and Telegrams: OSPEEMETER, WESTCENT, LONDON. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Messrs. Rolls Royce Limited, DERBY. 21st January 1927. Dear Sirs, Just returning from France, where I have been discussing the question of the Mercury Gauge with the Manufacturers, I have to inform you as follows:- The Paris Factory, in view of the high price of raw material and labour, have decided to discontinue the manufacture of the mercury gauge as the selling price to manufacturers would have to be exorbitant to cover the cost of production. But in order not to disappoint our customers who ordered rear tank gauges, our factory has decided to replace the Mercury Gauge by a new model which will be more simple and not so expensive. This article will be put on the market in a short delay. I asked the Paris Factory however to send me one of these new gauges before the end of the month so that it might be fitted to your tank. The appearance of this instrument on the dashboard will be the same as that of the Mercury gauge. In conclusion the writer would ask you to believe that all possible was done at this end and that the delay has been unavoidable. Apologising for the inconvenience, Yours faithfully, P. Sopher Managing-Director. | ||