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 discussing a customer's overheating car in Jamaica and a proposal to fit an experimental radiator.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 131\1\ scan0039 | |
| Date | 19th October 1932 | |
| S/W. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}..from PN.{Mr Northey} Copy to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Gx/Bly.{B. W. Bleaney - Bentley Sales} PN.{Mr Northey}3/WT19.10.32. Houghton James Esq. Rembrandt Hotel. You will remember that I spoke to you about this owner recently at Brooklands, with Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}, from the point of view of it being possible to fit a radiator to any car he might buy, which would greatly reduce the tendency to boil when a car is operating in Jamaica, where this owner lives most of the year. There is no doubt that the temperatures are very extreme there, and this owner who has now purchased a second-hand close-coupled Saloon - 102-GN - proposed to take it to Jamaica with him, and this will operate as a test as to any justification there may be for his buying a new "Phantom II". His position is that he has owned a "Silver Ghost" for a long time, which he habitually uses, but he has great difficulty with the cooling and feels he is rather a laughing stock in his country among all the native-driven American cars which do not boil under similar conditions of use. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} stated on the occasion referred to that there was a Marston Matrix which had been used in connection with certain experimental work, and which is not doing anything useful, which might be fitted to this car at small expense to the Company, and give this owner an altogether better chance of being satisfied. If you let me know that this radiator is still available I will make arrangements for Mr. Houghton James to have his car sent to W. as soon as possible. This owner, I may say, is unusually enthusiastic about our cars. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} I should like to talk about this. RAD NO E77675- PN.{Mr Northey} HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||