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).
Car body design, the challenges of Weyman bodies, and balancing aesthetic standards with customer preferences for space and comfort.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 4\8\ 08-page25 | |
| Date | 12th November 1926 | |
| To/E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from BJ. BJ20/E12/11/26 - 3 - moment of their time should be spent in cars which are as nearly as possible similar to the cars used by practically all our customers, namely, with comparatively heavy closed bodies. Those standard cars are what we want to perfect and to which they should give all their time, energy and thought. Quite a small improvement to perfect these standard cars is far more important than quite a large increase in the speed of a special model. 2. In regard to the 20 HP, we have been experimenting with and testing all kinds of Weyman bodies, but have always come back to the fact that the present Weyman body on a Rolls-Royce chassis brings the Rolls-Royce down to a very low level in appearance, and it is far more important for us to maintain our standard of producing the most beautiful 'gentleman's luxury carriage' in the world than to give a little more speed by reducing the appearance. The best Weyman still looks like a cheap attache case. [Handwritten note in margin: 85/- awful suggestion that R-R chassis with a Weyman body! Fisher] We are hoping that Barker's are on the verge of producing something which is just as light as a Weyman that will still look like a highly painted carriage, and we are encouraging them on these lines. We are doing everything to encourage all coachbuilders to keep down the weights and to make bodies as narrow as possible consistent with comfort. The Coachbuilding Committee are always considering this point. Unfortunately when people purchase a car at £1700 to £2000, they insist on having plenty of room inside and are not contented with narrowness if it means discomfort. Many of these questions are extremely difficult to deal with and we always have to come back to the fact that, if we make bodies which are satisfactory to us and not satisfactory to our customers, they are no good as they stop the sale of our cars. At the same time we are greatly in favour of experimenting with new types to gain experience of all kinds of bodies. BJ. | ||