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).
The status of experimental cars 19-MX, 20-MX and 22-MX, and an urgent request for a Continental Phantom for testing.
| Identifier | Morton\M18\ img073 | |
| Date | 24th February 1933 | |
| To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. Box. 19-MX.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} Replying to SgC/M21.2.33. From the photographs I have seen and the reports we have received, it looks as though 19-MX{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} will be "written off". The car is on its way back now. The only other P.II car we have running is 20-MX.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} This car is fitted with an enormous Limousine body and we wish to keep it like that to represent the big standard car with low rating springs. 22-MX{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} is at present being overhauled. This car had fitted to it an experimental frame which was twice as thick as the present standard one. The tests with it are now completed and we are replacing it with a standard frame. The chief reason for doing this is that a lot of new parts instructed could not be fitted because of the odd frame. We shall not get 22-MX{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} running until 4 to 6 weeks. This car also has a big body which was taken off the Left-hand car 25-MX.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} We very urgently require a Phantom car of the Continental type. We have still a lot of tests to do on shock absorbers and it must be realised that the Works have been instructed and are now actually producing the parts so that it is essential we should get a car running without delay. We hope it can be arranged to let us have 85-JS{Mr Johnson's Secretary} and also that we shall be able to have it within a week. We have a number of interesting parts also ready to fit to the Continental Phantom. We consider it is urgent that the car should be running about with these parts as soon as possible. We are already receiving criticism that the latest Continental Phantom is not fast enough and this complaint will become more acute with the introduction of the Pensport. We set out a whole programme of work to be done on 19-MX{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} and now we have lost the car it would be a waste of valuable effort unless we can replace it at once and carry on with the job. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||