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).
Structural weaknesses of the 7-EX car body and the need for improved coachbuilding standards.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5\2\ 02-page042 | |
| Date | 19th June 1926 guessed | |
| -2- You will remember that there are other portions of this 7-EX body which are weak. These have already been explained. Owing to the body being finished it is difficult to know how its weakness can be cured. I do not pretend to make any suggestions but I would like to point out that the mechanical construction of the body is so bad that I fear if we are supplying similar bodies to our customers, the reputation of the whole car will suffer. I do not think it is our place to instruct the coach-builders but it seems imperative that if we wish to maintain our reputation we must endeavour to get the coachbuilders to improve their methods by studying not only the artistry, finish, comfort, and appearance of the bodies, but by going into the question of designing the bodies for good mechanical strength. The body on 7-EX is not the worst type that could be suggested as it has a fixed seat that should have allowed the pillar between the two doors to be made a really sound job, whereas it will be seen that this pillar deflects fairly con-siderably around a vertical axis, and unless the doors are very vigorously banged they come undone on the road. I attach a copy of EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}'s report on the body to the coachbuilders. (To follow by later post). The same type of body (by Young's on 20 HP) that I had the year previously did not have the faults we are now complain-ing of, as far as I can remember. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||