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).
Secret memo detailing a chassis conference on post-war motor car fabrication and planning.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 161a\1\ scan0058 | |
| Date | 29th November 1939 | |
| .1381 & Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}'s policy SECRET. To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/MH.{M. Huckerby}29.11.39. CHASSIS CONFERENCE 24/11/39. Present:- Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} The memo Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/MH.{M. Huckerby}11.11.39 was discussed. POST WAR FABRICATION OF MOTOR CARS. The question of where the production of the rationalised programme should be located after the War was discussed. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} thought that this would have to be at Crewe to avoid inheriting some of the extravagances located at Derby. COST AND PLANNING. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} said that it was vitally important to get this side of the job lined up, and that Robbins of Crewe would shortly be available with his staff to help with the subject. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} said that he had been working with McLoughlin for the past twelve months and found him to be very helpful. It was agreed that McLoughlin and a necessary percentage of his staff should be allocated to this job forthwith, to prepare the ground for Robbins. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} raised the question of Park Ward's keeping in step with what R.R. were doing as at present the body situation was the weakest link in the rationalised programme. He said that he had been in communication with both Ward and Green on the subject, but that so far he could not even get a clear picture of the position that had been reached at the outbreak of hostilities. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} observed that as far as he knew Green had nothing to do at present but devote his time to this subject and that Giles could help him. He thought that Ward was hopeless from a production cost analysis point of view. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} said that Ward would have to be referred to at the start as he had been dealing with the labour and material figures up to date. He suggested that a meeting with Park Ward's should be held at Derby in the immediate future so that the way the job was to be done could be outlined. This will be arranged. | ||