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).
Letter discussing the strategy of mass production with quality, with comparisons to Ford and American competitors.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\V\October1930-February1931\ Scan177 | |
| Date | 2nd January 1931 guessed | |
| You know how terribly anxious I am to get this model right as quickly as possible, and put it into mass production so that we can sell at such a price as to be able to make enough in number to be profitable. "MY GREAT MOTTO FOR GREAT BRITAIN AND OURSELVES IS " "MASS PRODUCTION WITH QUALITY. UNLESS WE DO THIS " "WE ARE FATED SO LET US DO SO BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, " "BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT ENGLAND CANNOT TRULY BOAST " "OF EITHER." " Yours very sincerely, R.{Sir Henry Royce} P.S. Ford engines do not develop HP. in proportion to their rating. Most of the Americans have much lighter bodies but this may prove to their disadvantage. We had expected to gain considerable advantage from better maximum HP. which would be available by the double top gear. We shall still, but shall not need to rely upon it. We do not alter our model too often, but we do not make enough in numbers in a given period. There are exceptions on each side of us. Ford cannot change, and need not, because he competes on price only. Quality and performance is quite secondary, whereas with us it is all important. F.H.R. | ||