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).
Contract with R. R. Inc, production for the U.S. market, and technical comparisons of the 25 HP model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 182\M18\ img021 | |
| Date | 25th November 1924 guessed | |
| -3- contd. from the engineering side, the financial side should be adjusted to suit. Beaver has pointed out to me that R.{Sir Henry Royce} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Inc. have given us a contract for 200 cars worth over £250,000 and they have given all the financial safeguards we have asked for. They are, therefore, very good customers and we ought to treat them as such. On the question of the 25 HP. I had a conversation with Beaver and he wanted to know whether anything is being done with the L.H. 25 HP. I told him that as far as I knew nothing. He showed me the correspondence which had passed between London and Springfield. I believe there is a genuine desire to market a L.H. 25 HP. and if it is to be ready after P.Is the L.H. should be proceeded with. They are very definite, however, over the fact that they will not give us an order for 200 cars with all the guarantees we ask for. They point out that there are only 75 small R.R. cars (20 and 25) in the whole of N. America and to ask for an order for 200 is unreasonable, if we want the business we have got to take some of the risk. I believe now they would be prepared to negotiate on the basis of 50 or 100 cars. I do not know what the conditions are at Derby now as regards keeping the factory busy, but here is a market for the 25 HP. which we cannot afford to neglect. One thing is certain, that producing cars for U.S.A. will improve our products. On springing we have got to be a lot better. On shock absorbers they will not tolerate the constant service complaints. The Delco shock absorbers embody all the features we have and appear to have less faults, they can be bought for about 17/6d. each including connecting tube and joints for axle. I am still left with the problem of 25-LX. We have fitted the increased deflection springs and from a short test I have made, although it is better, I doubt whether it is as good as the Springfield cars. Springfield are using more deflection on the rear than we have on these experimental springs. I have had a new cushion made for the rear seat. We shall be carrying out definite comparative tests tomorrow. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||