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).
Failure of an experimental car body and evaluating the use of a body subframe versus direct mounting.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 102\2\ scan0103 | |
| Date | 1st October 1932 | |
| X5830 HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} FROM DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} SECRET. DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EVL/M7.10.32. X.4027 X.7830 X.5830. BODY LIFE. With respect to the failure to stand up reported by 'phone in connection with the body of 1-Per.2. we would like this to be reported in detail. We understand it has been on Brooklands several times. The body was constructed identically with those for the standardised 25HP. Saloon, which has not given trouble in customers hands. You are fully aware of the troubles experienced in the past in making the bodies of experimental cars hold up, and we only succeeded in doing so by introducing the body subframe on all experimental cars. You have reported this fact, and we assume you only agreed to abandon the subframe on P.2. production because you agreed that customers usage is not so severe as that you give to experimental cars. Since the days when non-subframe cars (experimental) were last used nothing has happened to lead us to suppose that we could revert to direct mounting, in fact, everything points the other way. You say we now have: (1) Increased performance (braking, speed, acceleration) (2) Variable shock dampers capable of heavy loading when travelling at high speeds. We add that (3) The chassis frame has lost nearly all its torsional rigidity by the removal of the tubular cross members. The body therefore takes all the spring and shock damper blows. We are therefore only able to rely on the present system of mounting, not by judging from experimental cars, but by trials, propaganda, and customers cars. DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} | ||