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).
Sales policy, competition from Bentley, and the feasibility of producing a J.I engine sports Bentley car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 3\4\ 04-page016 | |
| Date | 4th January 1938 | |
| HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X 4553 To Mr. [illegible]. from Hg. re B.II Car. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}19/E4.1.38 Copy to Mr. HY.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} With further reference to one or two conversations and memos of last week and Minutes of the meeting held on the 21st, C. Sx. and myself had some discussions here about Sales policy, and as indicated in former memos., although we are in sympathy with Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}'s views on many points, we still feel that for [REDACTED] many reasons including policy it would be wrong to make a J.I engine sports Bentley car. C. dictated some notes on the subject giving his views and I do not think I can do better than enclose copy for your perusal. There is another aspect which he has not touched on - Bentley's brought out their 8-litre to attack our 40/50 market. Their success was limited but was sufficient to worry us. We then heard that they were bringing out a 4-litre car with the definite object of attacking our 20/25 market. Fortunately for us the car they brought out was a failure. Our anxiety regarding the possible competition into our 20/25 market was, therefore, alleviated. It seems to me that, if we were to adopt Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}'s suggestion of making a B. JI sports car, i.e. 4D/25 sized engine, we should be really making the Bentley 4-litre failure into a [REDACTED] success, i.e. we should be making a Bentley competitor for ourselves. Agreed that we should be making it but, if it were at the cost of one of our existing models, we should not be pleased. I will, however, put it on the agenda for Thursday's meeting. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Enc. Copy of CS/C1.1.38 | ||