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).
Confidential memo detailing the rationalisation policy for post-war senior range chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 153\3\ scan0241 | |
| Date | 1st March 1944 | |
| 1298 Chassis CONFIDENTIAL. COPY. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Cr.{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester} 1/DH.{D. Henderson - Showroom} 1.3.44. POST WAR SENIOR RANGE CHASSIS. The policy of rationalisation which has been adopted for the Senior Range of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, has been applied equally to the chassis as to all other components, and in order that the minimum number of frame dies are required for the different models in the range, one basic design has been decided on. To accommodate different engine lengths, and different types of coachwork, this basic chassis is altered only to the extent of altering the dash to front-wheel length and the dash to rear-wheel length. In this way, by having two different front end lengths and two different rear end lengths, a range of chassis becomes available to suit the demand of each type of coachwork. This will be best understood by reference to the attached table which portrays pictorially the above arrangement. It will be observed that at present it is proposed to have three wheelbases to cover the whole range, namely : 11' 1" for limousine coachwork. 10' 4" for 6-cylinder close coupled saloon. 9' 4" for the smallest close coupled R.R. saloon. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Cr.{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester} copied Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/h.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 1.3.44. | ||