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).
Production of a special Bentley body, recommending French coachbuilder Pourtout over English alternatives.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 97\3\ scan0044 | |
| Date | 7th February 1939 | |
| To Eg... from By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} o.{Mr Oldham} Ox. c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 400c? By.5/N.7.2.39. Bentley II Special. Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}3/EW.6.2.39. It is quite out of the question to expect any English coachbuilder to produce in the time available the special bodies required to duplicate the performance reported in the press. The only body possible is one precisely similar to that on Mon. Embiricos's car and even this will not be immediately available, but could no doubt be obtained as an exact duplicate of Mon. Embiricos body in approx. 3 months from date of order, its price will be round about £450 in France. The bodies will be produced by Mon. Pourtout who has the detail drawings and the experience resulting from the production of the existing body, under Mon. Paulin's supervision. I am aware that the body space has been criticised and that the luggage accommodation is small, but I am afraid these debits will have to be accepted for the following reasons:- (1) M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Paulin will have his work cut out to design and build the Bentley 'Corniche' body in the time allotted. If we get orders for cars like Embiricos then this necessitates all the more the need for the 'Corniche'. (2) M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Paulin has himself realized the impracticability of working in parallel on bodies in England and France, in fact he has found that the French firm of Vanvooren are a 'handful' when it comes to this type of body, and occupy most of his time in keeping them on the rails. (3) M.Paulin feels the language difficulty is almost insuperable when he could only afford flying visits to supervise an English firm. We are fortunate in having M.Pourtout available and interested in making the Embiricos body as he knows Cont'd..... | ||