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).
Vehicle development progress, gear technology, model improvements, and engine units.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\5\ Scan049 | |
| Date | 9th April 1930 | |
| X8992 To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} By all means reply to R's letter (returned herewith). I suggest you tell him what wonderful progress has been made with the second left-handed chassis and that both it and a Phantom II with various modifications will be starting off on a 10,000 miles test in France very shortly, and that you hope to be able to advise him at an early date as to when you could arrange to go down to see him. I am very much interested to see what he says about the Armstrong Siddeley gear because I have not said anything to him about it at all, although, as you know, I have both seen and tried it, but the particular point that interests me is to see that he is keen on and realises the importance of our having a good silent easily changed 3rd at least soon. I feel this is very important for the Company's business and that, if we wait for his epicyclic gear, it will mean waiting two or three years before it is sufficiently perfected to standardise. In "The Motor" this week, Page 487, there is an article on this subject which you may or may not have seen, but which I should like you, DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}, E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} and BY to see as it seems there are several schemes in existence, but I do not of course know whether any of them are any good, but what I do feel is that we ought to have an easy change and silent third quickly and without waiting for the bigger move to all silent and all easy change gear which probably means epicyclic. In regard to the 20/25 I am not sure whether R.{Sir Henry Royce} is up-to-date in regard to the improvement which has been effected on the 20/25 as per 14-G-4. Personally I am quite sure that it would be dangerous for us to make the 20/25 better than that from the point of view of performance without running the risk of seriously jeopardising the sales of the larger car. In regard to compression ignition unit I was very much interested to note a memorandum through from him a few days after my visit to Derby recommending that a young engineer should be put specially and continuously on to the compression ignition job, as I had not written him anything on the subject, but you will remember that this was a point which I had written about and discussed last week. | ||