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).
The supply of various components, including junction boxes and starter motors, to American operations.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 18\6\ Scan170 | |
| Date | 30th August 1920 guessed | |
| -3- (f) Junction Box. Derby can supply this item, but at the moment there is some difficulty in obtaining a sufficient supply to cover American and English requirements. We consider, however, that this difficulty will be cleared up within a week, after which there would be no interference with Derby output in order to keep America supplied. (g) Starter Motor. This particular unit can only be supplied at the expense of Derby output. We could arrange the following quantity on the understanding that Derby output may suffer to the extent of 5 chassis per week, that is, output will drop from 40 to 35 chassis, for a period till we can arrange to produce more. On June 3rd. the Works Committee, in Minute 1 of their conference, offered to make Starter Motors and any other units that America found difficulty in producing. This suggestion was apparently not acted upon - we were therefore not expecting a sudden demand. We can despatch 6 sets on Sept. 18th., 8 more sets on Oct. 6th., 9 more sets on Oct.16th. and 10 more sets Oct.30th., after which we will keep up a supply of 10 sets per fortnight. (h) Thermostats. Here again the sudden pushing forward of the date on which chassisare to be produced in America will alter our policy, and we are in agreement that in order to produce cars by Nov. 6th. it is absolutely necessary that America should produce the first 100 chassis without Thermostats, but with top water connections to our present designs. In regard to the drawings for the Thermostat, referred to in cable 126 from America, these were despatched by first class mail on Friday last and no alterations have been made from the design to which Mr.Olley had the Sylphon tubes manufactured. (i) Thermometers. We do not agree to fit the Foxboro' Thermometer, but strongly recommend that America should use the Cambridge and Paul Company's Thermometer, which is at present a standard fitting on the English chassis, we can supply the same quantities of these as all the other parts referred to, as there will be no difficulty at all in supplying these from stock. With reference to cable 127, not only Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} but the whole of the Committee have considered the American Works just as sympathetically as the Derby Works, and our various recommendations were made, not to hamper America, but because we knew that the attempt to produce different designs in a hurry, or, on the other hand, to introduce accessories from a different source, would only inevitably land America into serious trouble. | ||