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).
Inquiry to Cadillac about purchasing a 1939 Sixty Special to evaluate its gearshift and overdrive technology.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 125\3\ scan0165 | |
| Date | 13th September 1938 | |
| 1052 Experimental Dept. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls}4/MH.{M. Huckerby} 13th. September 1938. E.W.Seaholm, Esq., Cadillac Motor Car Division General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. Dear Mr. Seaholm, We have cabled you today as follows:- "Considering purchase Sixty Special please let us know whether 1939 model will have vacuum operated remote control gearshift and latest Warner overdrive and earliest delivery Detroit with right hand drive. If car suitable our representative in America will contact with you". We are interested in obtaining a car with a vacuum operated remote control gear change on the steering column, which we believe Cadillacs are now using. We have also seen in the latest "Automotive Industries" that the new Warner overdrive is so arranged that direct gear can be obtained at will by pressing the accelerator beyond full throttle. We therefore want to obtain a car which also has this feature. As we are interested in the coachwork on the Cadillac "60 Special" we are hoping that it may be possible to obtain a car incorporating all our wants. We will cable our Dr. Llewelyn Smith, who is now in America, to come and see you if your reply to our cable is that the "60 Special" is what we want. Kind regards, Yours sincerely, | ||