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).
Bearing issues in Bentley cars sold on the Continent and proposing a special model to address this.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 115\1\ scan0252 | |
| Date | 11th January 1937 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} BENTLEY BEARINGS. Sr.'s. note is interesting. It appears to me that we have about five times as much trouble with the 40 Bentley cars sold per annum on the Continent than with the 500 to 600 cars sold in England. It would therefore pay the Company to produce a special car for the Continent and charge a special price for it. I have in mind the Short Chassis Bentley, using it for trying out new cylinder heads, light alloy brake drums etc. and charging a special price for it, which would cover one change of bearings. At the same time, this might enable us to reduce the power output of the engine fitted to the standard Bentley chassis and therefore help our bearing position. There is such a tremendous difference between the enthusiastic all-out driver and the man-in-the-street that it becomes increasingly extravagant to try to cater for both on the same chassis, and in view of the modern Continental main roads, increasingly difficult. At the present moment nobody seems to know what is the % profit remaining on the average Bentley sold in France when it reaches the end of its guarantee period. With duty, the cost of sending parts over, large discount allowed etc. we may find that the Frenchman uses the firm as a philanthropic institution. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||