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).
Strategy for experimental chassis testing, specifically regarding high-speed tests and the use of Jarvis bodies to avoid unnecessary costs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 65a\1\ scan0340 | |
| Date | 4th May 1928 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X7770 To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from BJ. Copy to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} C. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} 17-EX. BJ5/E4.5.28 With reference to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LG2.5.28 and Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG2.5.28, we have just received an order for a short chassis and it is, therefore, desirable that 17-EX should immediately be made into our present standard. Please let us know how far this is possible. We wish to avoid the enormous depreciation of placing another chassis on the road for experimental purposes if this can be avoided in any way. It is, therefore, suggested that 15-EX should be repaired and have the Jarvis body fitted to it if it is necessary to continue using a chassis with a special high speed body fitted to it. I would again like to repeat that any experiments for special high speed mean money thrown away unless these high speed tests are absolutely essential to develop our standard chassis to be capable of running at approximately 80 miles an hour, and that we do not want to develop a car capable of doing more than 80 miles an hour, either with sports body or any other body on it. Therefore, any time or money which it is intended to expend on high speed tests should be very carefully considered before hand as to what is the object of such tests. Under these circumstances, before taking 15-EX with the Jarvis body into use for experimental purposes, please let me know exactly what is the purpose of such tests in view of the fact that the Experimental Department are now preparing a car to start for 10,000 miles test including all the items mentioned in R1/M1.5.28. We wish to avoid sending one of these special chassis to Jarvis's, and as this body is now being fitted to a dummy chassis at their Works, there should be no necessity to send our special chassis to them at all. Bearing in mind that the chassis which you are now preparing for a 10,000 miles test is to be used for testing the three items which we have just agreed should be standardised, namely, the new brakes, pedals further forward and shorter | ||