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 to J.S. Inskip regarding the development of left-hand drive cars for the US market and the impact of the war on production.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 124\4\ scan0063 | |
| Date | 25th November 1939 | |
| Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/MH.{M. Huckerby} 25th. November, 1939. J.S.Inskip, Esq., 10, East 57th. Street, New York, U.S.A. Dear Inskip, You will remember that last time I saw you, now more than three years ago, I promised that we would have a go at a left-hand car for the States as soon as we had cleared up the situation for the English market. We were just about ready to start on the left-hand car when War broke out. Immediately all the personnel engaged in the Chassis Engineering Department were transferred to aero work. We have now, however, got a few back and are carrying on with the job. We have so arranged our designs that when we left-hand one car in the range we left-hand every car in the range. In other words, as soon as we have finished our left-handdesigns you can have the equivalent of a left-hand Phantom III, a left-hand Wraith and a left-hand Bentley. The big problem which is exercising our minds at the moment is the change speed situation. The only move which is easy to do is to transfer the present change speed lever from the right-hand side of the car to the left-hand side. The change on the new range is, of course, much lighter than that on the Phantom III and is comparable to the Wraith. Also, on the high powered cars of the range, which will be the ones in which you are interested, the amount of gear changing necessary is almost negligible. | ||