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 reorganization of the Springfield Works and U.S. sales strategy following a visit in December 1930.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\4\ Scan240 | |
| Date | 1st January 1931 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Sr. c. to WGR. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/MJ.1.1.31. X 777?? 1794W VISIT TO R.R.A.I. DECEMBER 1930. The position at the Springfield Works is that the main machining shop has now been completely dismantled. They have retained about 75 machines and put these into a smaller shop. The rest of the machines have been sold or are at the dealers warehouse. The old machine shop is having the floor relaid and is being prepared as a coachbuilders shop. They have already started to move the woodwork machines from Brewster's New York, to Springfield. It is anticipated that by February 1931 the whole of the coachbuilding will be transferred to Springfield. Quite a lot of money must have been spent in making these changes as they have been carried out in a permanent manner. They are still retaining their spring making plant and sheet metal and radiator sections, these are now being used for service work and repairs. They are completing a few Phantom 1 cars for which they have the parts machined. They may be making about one car every two weeks. I consider the scheme of concentrating the coachbuilding at Springfield is very sound and should prove economical. The imported cars will be delivered right into their own railway sidings and the lay-out of the shop can be arranged much better than at Brewster building. Labour is not so difficult or expensive as at New York. R.A. Inc. are now no longer in a position to manufacture cars. They will endeavour to live by retailing the Derby products. For retailing the Derby products I consider R.R.A.I. are splendidly equipped. They have very fine showrooms and many service depots in different parts of the country. The Sales officials I met were a very good type of American with any amount of enthusiasm for R.R. cars. It should be realised that we now have in U.S.A. a whole Sales organisation ready to sell Derby products. Their livelihood and success depends on selling our cars. It is therefore up to us to see that we give them something which can be sold and return a profit for both companies. The American market now is really in our own hands. It has been said that we sold cars in U.S.A. before | ||