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).
Confidential memo on coachwork trends and production methods following the 1937 International Motor Exhibition.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 111\1\ scan0004 | |
| Date | 27th October 1937 | |
| CONFIDENTIAL. To Mr. [redacted], from Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} FILE IN BENTLEY SB{Mr Bull/Mr Bannister} BODY FILE P C.c. to Dr. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}21/G.27.10.37. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 1044 SO4 INTERNATIONAL MOTOR EXHIBITION - 1937. Generally speaking one saw very little at the Show which one had not already read about or seen before. There was more to be learned by meeting other members of the industry :- COACHWORK. BENTLEY 3 & Due to the ever increasing excellency of the BENTLEY 50. moderately small quantity produced bodies, it would only be logical to expect less people each year will spend from £350 to £675 on a Custom Built body. The less the price of the chassis the fewer the Custom Bodied Customers become. Apart from the Park Ward effort with their all-steel construction, one could discover no effort among the Classic Coachbuilders to adapt themselves to this new market. It was this conservatism as far back as 1925 that caused many old firms to fade out and new ones, alive to the changed demand to grow up, coachbuilding gradually moved from London to the Midlands. The 4-Door Saloon of the S.S. Jaquar is an interesting example of a body of moderate size production -(approx. 100 per week, and used on 1 1/2, 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 litre) and costing about £120. The Coupe, in much smaller production we understand costs only £20 more. The Saloon is a pressed steel panel production, but not monobloc, and has been produced on the assumption that the die cost will be covered at 100 per week in 2 years. We are arranging to create a connection whereby we can see the firm who produce their pressing to see in how many parts the body is produced. We would expect the shell to cost £35, including overheads. The great saving by small quantity production over our present system lies in the following.- (1). Continuous flow (no matter how slow) through the factory. This avoids the large amount of filling-in time by the men. (2). One man one job or a series of jobs. (3). Systemised trimming. (4). Systemised Painting - (oven dried). (5). Contract purchase of material. | ||