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 discussing the production strategy for a left-hand drive 'SS' chassis for the American market.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 65a\2\ scan0060 | |
| Date | 25th September 1928 | |
| Private & Confidential. from Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} USA & 'SS{S. Smith}' CHASSIS. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}, BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} and I met this morning to discuss your memo and Mr. Fuller's letter concerning the 'SS{S. Smith}' Drawings for America. We do not agree that it is necessary or wise to send the drawings at the present time to America, it would be sharing the secret in two factories, and also give Springfield the opportunity of possibly producing an 'SS{S. Smith}' left-hand chassis, and introducing same to the public in advance of ourselves. It is very desirable from the point of view of both Companies that the 'SS{S. Smith}' chassis is issued to the public simultaneously, and as it is definite that we should produce the identical chassis in both factories with the exception that one is left-handed, it appears to us most desirable to produce the left-hand chassis in our own Experimental Dept., and be satisfied with it after our usual tests that it will suit America's requirements. The 'SS{S. Smith}' Chassis for this country should be ready in some form or another by the time R.{Sir Henry Royce} leaves for the South of France, but it will not be in a complete state as far as we can see, so that it will be possibly six months or more before it is ready for the 10,000 miles test etc. before its final acceptance, so you will see that we consider it is the right policy to make the left-hand chassis at Derby experimentally, and further, we recommend for serious consideration, the advisability of making the left-hand chassis productively at Derby after the Experimental stage has been gone through, as Derby ought to be able to produce the left-hand chassis in much less time than Springfield. We have the designs for left-handing which R.{Sir Henry Royce} produced with Mr. Burton working at WW., and can go ahead and produce the left-handed car immediately following completion of the right-handed design. Wo. | ||