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).
Instrument board illumination, arguing for uniform illumination and silver lettering over bold white.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 62\2\ scan0181 | |
| Date | 16th February 1933 | |
| X6141 Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} WST E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}Pn.{Mr Northey}Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}BY. Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}11/KW16.2.33. re- Instrument Board Illumination. Referring to E.2/HP15.2.33, it is pleasing to learn that you are experimenting with concealed lighting and bevelled <s>instruments</s> glasses, which you think will be better than the instrument board illumination on the 1933 Buick. With regard to the last paragraph of your memo suggesting bold white lettering in place of silver, my feeling is that our chief desire at the moment is a more uniform illumination of the dial. With that I think we should find the present silver lettering rather pleasing in not being too brilliant and therefore somewhat dazzling when driving at night. From experience I find that it is very easy to have one's vision affected by brightly lit instruments, and we are not asking you for this so much as uniformly lit instruments. It is not, as I think you will realise, more light that we require on the dials, but merely uniformity of illumination. | ||