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).
Architecture of instrument boards and proposing a new central control panel for future cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 26\1\ Scan057 | |
| Date | 24th May 1963 | |
| To: MeF Kgt from JPB c: Cry Tln/GHK FRH Tln/BLR Tln Tln/HPJ JPB 1/NH 24 May 1963 FUTURE CARS The basic architecture of our present and past styles of instrument board is no longer at all suited to the changed needs of interior accommodation and subject to general approval I suggest that any future facia arrangements should be based on the "central control panel" idea illustrated in the attached sketch. The worst disadvantage of such a scheme is not that it prohibits a third person from the front of the car, because with the returning popularity of semi-bucket seats and the ever increasing size of transmission humps due to lower floors, the "third" front person is already a bit of a myth, but because moving across the car is made difficult. However, on balance I feel that the advantages more than outweigh this one bad feature and I think we should mock up in one of the Burma cars a central mass of approximately the proportions and disposition that it would need to be, and take note of reactions. The main advantages of the scheme are these:- 1. It allows for hot and cold air ducts of good capacities to be placed where they are needed. 2. It places within reach of a strapped-in driver all controls and services. 3. It leaves undisturbed for right and left-hand cars every installation bar the column itself and the actual instrument dials. 4. It eliminates most wood to wood joints and lends itself well to easily accessible detachable service panels. 5. In using interior space within the living room of the car it allows for less congestion in the unseen under scuttle areas, and finally it fulfils the modern concept of padded as opposed to wooden edges. JPB | ||