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).
Road spring manufacturing and the logistics of chassis supply for the American market.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\3\ Scan057 | |
| Date | 7th March 1929 guessed | |
| -3- (7) Road Springs. The department which has been set up, equipped and organized for making road springs at Springfield Works has functioned in every way satisfactorily, so that the life of the springs we have made has been immeasurably increased and breakage of spring leaves almost non-existent. The riding quality is also materially improved - a fact which is generally admitted by our customers. For these reasons and because of the variety and many different types of coachwork which are provided by Brewster for Rolls-Royce chassis, we require the flexibility in the assignment of chassis to be ordered in quantity in advance for stock purposes which will be possible by our receiving the chassis without road springs. Springfield Works will supply the same. Thus Derby Works can build the SS.{S. Smith} Phantom chassis, having 150 inch wheel base, and tested by them complete - for this purpose they can provide a suitable supply of testing equipment, such as test wheels, and hubs, test tires and tubes, test radiator and bonnet, test generator, starting motor and battery. But when the chassis is off final test and in preparation for shipment to America, this test equipment, comprising the items to be omitted in the shipment to America, will be removed and held for subsequent chassis on final test. There is the further important advantage of a lower invoice cost, as a basis on which U.S. Customs will assess the duty, plus the savings in weight for shipping and boxing space. --------- We will need from Derby as promptly as possible the following in reference to the SS.{S. Smith} chassis which is to be built left-handed for America:- (a) Coachbuilders Drawings, so that designs can be prepared at Brewsters. It is a fact that the successful evolution of body designs is a matter of a year or more, in order to get the proper lines and style, as well as soundness or perfection of construction. (b) Generator and Motor dimensions and capacity, with wiring diagrams. (c) Details of road wheels and hubs as adopted for S.S.. --------- | ||