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).
The experimental fitting of steel front wings to a customer's car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\1\ scan0117 | |
| Date | 22th November 1934 | |
| W/S - C. x7961 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/6/KW.22.11.34. B-65-AE. Mr. R.{Sir Henry Royce} Summers. Replying to C6/C.21.11.34, I am afraid that I had very little to do with the actual fitting of the steel front wings to Mr. Summers' car. At the time when the front wings were cracking so badly we were anxious to try these items in steel and Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} pointed out that he could not get any suitable steel for the job. Mr. Summers then came forward and said that he would supply the correct type of steel for the experiment. There was no doubt that the steel was made specially for the job and would probably cost a lot more than £19.10.0d. On the other hand, we do not know whether it was arranged that the wings should be supplied free of charge or not. Actually we have now got several sets of these steel wings running about owing to Mr. Summers being good enough to supply the steel, and I believe that the experiment will be of considerable value to us. We take it that in any event, Mr. Summers' front wings having cracked up in 6 months running, they would have been replaced under somebody's guarantee. Candidly, if the sum of £19.10.0d. has enabled us to experiment with steel wings we think it is a very economical outlay which would normally be chargeable to the Experimental Dept. On looking through the correspondence I see that Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} dealt with the wings, so he will be able to tell you exactly what the position was. Personally - there now being a Rolls-Royce and two Bentleys in Mr. Summers' family after a 6 years gap when they ran none of our products, and having just sold Mr. Richard Summers another Bentley - I am rather anxious that we shall do what we can to keep his goodwill. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} | ||