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).
From a Works Committee conference regarding the 15 HP Humber and Goshawk II models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 18\6\ Scan262 | |
| Date | 1st March 1921 | |
| To Hr. from CJ. c. to R.{Sir Henry Royce} c. to C. c. to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} c. to Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} c. to WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to DP. c. to De. Re Works Committee Conference and Goshawk II. CJ7/E1/3/21 Referring to the Minutes of the Works Committee Conference of the 25th and 28th February, the questions in CJ1/D21/2/21, namely, Firstly, the cost of the 15 HP Humber as it stands, Secondly, what improvements would be necessary in order to make it worthy of Rolls-Royce reputation, and Thirdly, what the extra cost of these improvements would be, were evidently clumsily put inasmuch as questions 2 and 3 have not been answered. If it is reasonable to assume that the 15 HP Humber has been made by the Humber Company at a profit, (and by the word 'profit' it is presumed that sufficient profit is intended), at what cost could R.R. make a chassis of similar HP, affording similar seating accommodation and conforming with R.R. standards of trustworthiness, endurance and economy of running. Why is it necessary, in order that the Company may live, that it should have a turnover of £5,000,000? Is it considered that this would be the case if a proportion of the Works were closed and all the economies possible were made in establishment charges? If the Works can derive no further benefit from the 15 HP Humber in the consideration of a third model, please let it be returned to Sales. It will be noted that a conference of Sales Officials contemplated that only 750 of Goshawk II could be sold in a year simultaneously with 365 of the present model, if the complete car cost from £1760 to £1865. If only 750 were made in the year, by how much would the cost be increased over £1050 in respect of material and labour? Naturally the establishment charges per chassis must be largely regulated by the total output of all models. CJ. | ||