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 from coachbuilder Park, Ward & Co proposing a joint experiment on chassis rigidity and body construction.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 125\1\ scan0176 | |
| Date | 11th February 1935 | |
| PARK, WARD & CO LTD COACHBUILDERS OFFICIALLY APPOINTED RETAILERS OF ROLLS ROYCE CARS DIRECTORS: A·T·ROBERTS W·M·PARK C·W·WARD W·C·THORNE J·A·FALCONER C·A·C·FALCONER W·S·PAGE (SHOWROOMS - 40 CONDUIT STREET) 473 HIGH ROAD WILLESDEN LONDON · N·W·10 TELEPHONE: WILLESDEN 2595 (6 LINES) TELEGRAMS: WARENPAR-WILLROAD-LONDON CF/MO. 11th February, 1935. Messrs. Rolls-Royce, Ltd., Experimental Department, Derby. For the attention of Mr. Robotham. Dear Sirs, Thank you for your letter of the 2nd inst., and we await your promised figures with interest. We are under the impression ourselves that with a chassis possessing the American degree of rigidity we could construct a perfectly satisfactory body which would weigh less than our present type. At the same time we would not like to discount your theory in any way. Do you not think it would be better to work in the direction of our idea rather than run the risk of detracting from the car's performance by increasing the weight of the chassis and still further loading it with a body approximating the immense weight of the American one? We are intensely interested in the subject and would like to conjoin with you in an experiment which would not only be enlightening but might be the means of our coming to a definite conclusion on future policy as regards construction. To convince yourselves and ourselves it would seem necessary for you to give us two Rolls-Royce chassis brought through to the American degree of rigidity. On one of these we would construct a light body to our own ideas and on the other we would build a steel panelled body married rigidly to the chassis and you could then submit both cars simultaneously to a severe test of say 20,000 miles without attention. If this idea appeals to you, we would be willing to bear the complete cost of one of the bodies. | ||