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).
Letter arguing against placing shutters on the front of radiators due to their negative impact on the car's appearance and sales.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\4\ Scan051 | |
| Date | 5th December 1921 | |
| X3499 CJ2/H51221. 5th December, 1921. Copies to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} [strikethrough] Hr. (for Works Committee). H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} [strikethrough] W. (for next Sales Conference.) X3499 My dear R.{Sir Henry Royce}, I am very sorry again to have to trouble you with reference to the appearance of our cars. Some time ago we made very strong representations that shutters should not be placed in front of the radiator because they would, in the eyes of our buyers, destroy the appearance of our cars. It is quite true that anything which is right should not be considered ugly, but many things which are right are considered ugly and are profoundly disliked until they become general. I do not think that we should be pioneers in introducing something which is ugly and which may offend potential purchasers, but should rather wait until the apparatus is so far in general use that a car would look wrong if it did not have it. Therefore please do not, for the present, introduce shutters on the front of the radiator in the Goshawk or in any other car. We realise that it is extremely difficult for an engineer who is convinced of the rightness of a certain thing to look at it from any other standpoint. We have to look at it from the standpoint of sales, and sales are the life-blood of the Company. Yours ever, (Signed) C.J. | ||