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).
Internal memorandum discussing the development, testing, and market placement of a new Sports Model car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 71\1\ scan0305 | |
| Date | 26th August 1927 | |
| STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. X8830 To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from BJ. Copy to R.{Sir Henry Royce} Copy to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Copy to C. Copy to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Sports Model. BJ7/E26/8/27 With reference to our conference here yesterday with R.{Sir Henry Royce} concerning placing the Sports Model on the market, please let me know: 1. When you expect to be able to send the present car to S. to test on the road and track? 2. When you expect to be able to test for 10,000 miles in France at highest possible speed, on mountains and in traffic a sports model exactly as it will be delivered to the customer? What body do you propose using on this car? If we decide to build 50, when does Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} expect to be able to start delivering the first chassis and what number per week? I am asking C. and Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} to ascertain immediately from two or three coachbuilders what bodies they would suggest as suitable for this chassis, giving them to understand that the result of their design and its weight will probably result in their receiving the majority of 50 orders for these bodies, as we intend to sell these as complete cars. They will at the same time consider whether we could fit any form of very light closed sporting bodies on this chassis. We shall possibly decide to quote a higher price for this chassis than for our standard chassis, at first at any rate. We are very anxious to have these chassis ready for delivery as early as possible in the next financial year. We should be glad if you could arrange to test or for us to test the difference in speed of this chassis with varying compressions as we should like to reduce the engine vibration as far as possible if it will not greatly affect the last few miles of the high speed. For instance, if we could make the car pick up reasonably smoothly on top gear instead of with the considerable vibration that exists now, we would willingly forego the difference between say 95 and 100 miles per hour in top speed. | ||