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).
Departmental memo discussing the past year's coach work, weight reduction with aluminium, and a comparison of English and foreign coachbuilders.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 74\1\ scan0049 | |
| Date | 29th August 1911 | |
| R.R. 348c (100 H) (X 99. 4.8.11). E.P. 9457. DEPARTMENTAL MEMO. C35/D29811. 35th meeting Issued 29th August 1911. This column is for Name of Person addressed. DATE. X 393 Mr. Johnson. 29.8.11. Handwritten notes: Mr Nadin Let Technical Office report on points marked A.B- C. COACH WORK. August is generally a good month in which to review the past year's work, as a certain slackness sets in during this month owing to holidays etc., which makes it, so to speak from the Coachbuilders' point of view, the end of their financial year. The new work re-opens about the middle of September or early in October, when all coachbuilders of note are working at high pressure. The majority of orders have to be completed by August, then there is a 6 weeks lapse before the new orders for the winter begin, which carries on continually until the following August. During the past year the most noticeable feature is the general attempt towards the reduction of weight. Aluminium has been much more freely used, not only in the actual body itself but even in the manufacture of wings. I can personally see no reason why it should not be carried one step further and used for lamps and horns where electric light is used. The reduction in weight in headlights alone would be most considerable. Speaking generally I think the first class English Coachbuilder puts better work into his body than our foreign competitors. The foreigner may produce some startling designs, his finish may be superior, but his general work is decidedly inferior to ours. I have found instances where the foreigner has used nails instead of screws and has taken other such liberties where he thought he would pass detection. Stamp 1: SEP 1911 RECEIVED Stamp 2: JC 31 VIII 11 This sheet must be filed with the correspondence to which it refers. | ||