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 requesting the urgent manufacture of special oil gauge instruments for a racing car ahead of the Le Mans race.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\4\ Scan165 | |
| Date | 8th May 1936 | |
| Xn62 Exptl. Dept. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/AFM.{Anthony F. Martindale}15/KW. 8th May, 1936. Messrs. S. Smith & Sons (M.A.) Ltd., Cricklewood Works, London, N.W.2. Your Ref: E.2 Dear Sirs, In reply to your letter of May 7th, and confirming our telephone conversation of May 8th. Please supply at once a Rover or other similar sump unit and suitable motor. This is wanted urgently Please proceed with the manufacture of special instruments with all speed. We doubt if we shall now have time to fix your special 3-wire instrument inside the sump and we will probably drive it off our existing float by a link external to the sump. For racing purposes this oil gauge is being used in conjunction with an automatic oil feed. The purpose of the instrument is to indicate to the driver if this is functioning correctly: if it is, the needle will be vertical and reading 1 1/4 gallons. If the needle deflects to either side of the vertical it will read either "overfull" or (say) 3/4 gallons. The instrument will never show "empty". We can arrange all this when we get the instruments. The Le Mans race is fixed for June 13th. We must have the instruments in 14 days' time, or sooner for preference. We will send you an order for the special instruments shortly. Yours faithfully, FOR ROLLS-ROYCE LTD. | ||