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).
Preference for a wood and aluminium body for the first Bentley III experimental chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 98\2\ scan0012 | |
| Date | 30th August 1937 | |
| SECRET. [Handwritten Note:] Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Should like to see Ward when he comes on Friday Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} To By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} c. to Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} BY/Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}1/N.30.8.37. Re: Body for First Bentley III Experimental Chassis. [Handwritten: 404] We have been told in Hn{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders}7/MK.29.7.37, addressed to Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} that Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} is particularly anxious that the body for the first B.III. Experimental chassis should be of the special lightened steel and aluminium construction by Park Ward, as now being tried on Bentley chassis No. B-117-JY and at present used by Lp.{Mr Lappin} We would prefer that the first B.3. body should be of the wood and aluminium construction for the following reasons:- (1) It could be produced in very much less time. (2) A wooden framed body has first to be built to act as a pattern for the steel frame, and panelling. None of the patterns for existing Park Ward bodies can be used for B.3. (3) A wooden frame can be cut and altered more easily when mounting the body. Errors are bound to occur with the first body due to the indeterminate nature of the chassis in its early stages. (4) By having a wood and aluminium body for the first chassis we shall be able to judge the appearance and accommodation of the proposed Saloon for B.3 before any forming jigs are produced. In view of the above considerations, we suggest that the first B.3. Saloon be in wood and aluminium, and that the second body be a replica but built using the special steel and aluminium construction. We can equal the weight of the body of Lp{Mr Lappin}'s car in wood and aluminium if we use the light construction of the original Bentley bodies, and as exemplified by I.B.4. We admit that this construction did not stand up too well on the original Bentley 2 chassis, but we suggest that it should do so on the rigid B.3. frame, because a similar construction used on the Wraith II bodies has given reasonable satisfaction. Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} | ||