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).
Vehicle standardisation, road handling, electrical equipment, and colour specifications.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\I\May1922\ Scan13 | |
| Date | 10th December 1920 | |
| N.R. 235A (100 P) (S. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 798. 10-12-20) G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} 2947 (3) they should be right forall types of body, and can therefore be standardised. The wonderful saving if this can be done cannot be told without many words, but the fact that the frame can have standard drillings should shew. I would like to point out here how perhaps for a small first cost some point is imperfect which can so annoy the owner as to discount very considerably the whole: this particularly applies to body proportions, workmanship, and generally to details of equipment outside the chassis proper (i.e. works part which we try to so carefully prove and standardise.) (7) HOLDING THE ROAD. The present cord tyres are so resilient and get so hard when pumped to the pressure recommended by makers, that having done all that is known to make the back axle keep on the road, the result is not wonderfully good on the rough roads around here. It is therefore imperative that the lowest pressure possible should be used in the tyres and that when only one spare wheel is carried this should be behind as on No.4 Gos: 11: if two are carried then also one behind and the second one should be on the left side if a R.H. steering car leaving the ignition side free and balancing approximately the driver and battery. My advice is that with straight sided tyres only one spare wheel is necessary, assuming that one carries 1 or 2 spare inner tubes as suggested. It is very undesirable to have the extra weight of the second wheel which generally will be carried forward. (Tyres with No.4 Gos:11. have been splendid at about 40 lbs. per sq. in.)* (8) ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. X.4338 So far 3 points have suggested themselves i.e. some slight grease on cam of igniter (Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}) and the thinner intermediate brush for the exciting current (EFC.). There is also a stronger front support wanted for the battery (Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}) a breakage having been reported on the express cars. This is an easy matter as thicker material only seems to be all that is required. (9) The suspension of the battery, wings, spare wheel, petrol tank, are specimens of light and inexpensive construction, which is so good and can be obtained only by standardisation. (10) COLOUR OF NO. 4 GOSHAWK 11. AS INSTRUCTED, this car and others were to be left in the grey until proved to be satisfactory and no serious alterations were found necessary. No.4 for expediency might now be called finished and could be finally painted so as to be of greater use to Sales. Personally it is alright for me unless Hooper's have to finish it to complete their order. Now since they have upholstered it in imitation pigskin brown leather it seems hardly right to finish it in dark battleship blue grey colour so that a dark straw grey colour (i.e. warm grey) would seem best. This to me would be obtained by pure black, white, & slight amount of orange yellow, quite free from blue or green, but very little colour in the grey, as the large surfaces always give an impression of more colour. R: | ||