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).
Inter-office correspondence discussing the use of a proprietary switch versus a competitor's (Delco) switch.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 52\3\ Scan213 | |
| Date | 21th December 1921 | |
| X4431 INTER-OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE CC Mr. Balnap Mr. Nadin ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Oy2 - G 211221 December 21, 1921 Dear Hives: (B) Re: Rolls-Royce Switch (Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /IGS.12.21) With regard to your note about the Rolls-Royce switch, as you say, there is not much danger of breakdown of the switch, and it might be considered desirable that this should be a Rolls-Royce fitting for the sake of satisfying customers that they are getting something exclusive. I do not know exactly what patents it would infringe in this country, but I know the Delco switch is well patented and think that the use of a switch similar to Delco's would get us into a fight with the whole General Motors outfit. Another important question is how much it really costs. I think that buying it from England would scarcely be practical. We are absolutely opposed to making such things on the score of cost and complication in the shop. It is very difficult to estimate the overhead on these small finicky jobs. The Delco switch is perfectly satisfactory in operation. Probably all that it would be wise for us to do would be to improve the appearance of this by covering it with an escutcheon plate of our own design. I may mention that we are using a switch with only two positions on the ignition side, so that when switched on, both ignitions are always running. This we consider essential to proper operation of the car by customers. (The Klaxon button is now on the top of the steering column.) MO/G Yours truly, M. {Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Olley | ||