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).
High cost of Stromberg carburettors compared to competitors and plans to experiment with alternative suppliers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 121\4\ scan0133 | |
| Date | 4th November 1936 | |
| Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}8/GR.{George Ratcliffe}4.11.36. We attach herewith detailed costs of the Stromberg Carburetter arrangement fitted on the 25/30 and S.U. on Bentley respectively. From this you will note that the Stromberg carburetter itself costs only 6% less than 2 S.U. Carburetters. We do not know what has increased the cost of the Stromberg Carburetter to this extent, but we cannot believe that basically it should not be possible to produce a plain choke carburetter for less money than one of the expanding type. We do know that this is so in carburetters supplied to mass production cars. We have the following authentic figures from Mr. Skinner - though he asks us not to quote them :- The Zenith Carburetter for the 8 H.P. Ford costs 5/8d. " S.U. " " Morris Minor " 9/6d, and they lose a few pence on each carburetter made by S.U. We have told Fisher, and he has passed this information on to Turner, that we consider the price we are paying for the Stromberg carburetters is altogether too high, and we are going to experiment with Claudel Hobson products, so that we shall have an alternative source of supply. It was no use threatening them with Solex as they are just about to amalgamate with this Company. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||