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).
Design of the bonnet and radiator for the Phantom model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 15\1\ Scan218 | |
| Date | 10th February 1930 | |
| X7250 TO SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} FROM EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} COPY TO C. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} RE REVISED BONNET AND DASH PHANTOM "." EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}2/10.2.30. X.7250 X.7260 X.7500 X.7830 We agree that the Seagrave bonnet and dash were not a success. We thought that the radiator with the shallowed top tank was an improvement. With reference to your suggestion that we should look at a radiator with sloping sides to suit the taper of the bonnet, we suggest that that particular issue might be made subsequent to our perfecting the proposed bonnet with the raised side hinge, for the following reasons:- (1) The tapered radiator is much more expensive to make (2) It calls for an entirely different design and construction. (3) It is much heavier, as the sides have to be bronze castings. (4) Mr. Royce, not long before he left was in favour of changing to the parallel sides radiator on the 20/25HP. for these reasons. (5) It is not so very long ago we made a tapered sided radiator for a "W" Series P.1. and when it was seen it was disliked. We do not wish this to mean that we are not in sympathy with the suggestion, but we would like to keep it a separate issue as it is a design issue and would hold up considerably the main issue, namely, the standardisation of a bonnet with a raised side. hinge. It would be as well to make it quite clear why we are so badly in need of this feature. In fact we venture to suggest that it may be not realised that this problem is the same as that of building low looking cars on our chasis which have ample headroom. The height of the rear seatboard on Phantom 2. from the ground is the same as on Phantom. The level top of the frame, and the bonnet and radiator are 1.000 lower on P.2. than on P.1. Nearly all the cars we build today have a waistline which is a continuation of the side bonnet hinge. Therefore, since the roof is no lower on P.2. than on P.1. it follows that the height of the head above the waistline of a body on P.2. must be 1.000 ins. greater than that on a similar body on P.1. | ||