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).
Secret internal memo discussing the production schedule, alterations, and risks associated with the new E.A.C.2 model's 10,000 miles trial.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 69\2\ scan0179 | |
| Date | 27th October 1924 | |
| c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Y8770 To C.J. - from Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} SECRET. Wor{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}2/M27.10.24. With reference to your memo CJ8/E22.10.24, Messrs Bailey, Hives, Whitehead and myself met this morning to consider the position, and although the note is written to R.{Sir Henry Royce}, with copies to other officials, urgency demands that we should give you our views. We are of the opinion, in answer to your five questions, that we could not be practically certain that E.A.C.2 would go through its 10,000 miles' trial at the end of January next sufficiently well to enable the Works to proceed with its production, with a view to delivery to London of chassis containing it, at the rate of 9 per week, from the 15th.April next. Our experience teaches us there would be much risk in the programme and there might be some delay in satisfying Sales and our customers that our new product was better than the old. In view of your definite note we all consider that it may be necessary to make probably 200 more of our present chassis before such a guarantee could be made. Our reason for saying that there might be some delay with E.A.C.2 is because although we have two of them nearly completed in the Experimental Department, no E.A.C.2 car has yet been submitted to Sales in a sufficiently completed condition for them to be able to satisfy themselves that the car is one which they could sell as an improvement over the present standard 40/50HP car. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} informed us this morning other alterations to the Ignitions, Crankcase, and I believe Radiator, were contemplated, and we have got to bear in mind that there will be, with such a new product, more modifications. It seems to us that the risk would only be worth while if the policy of the Company very much demanded this new product, but seeing that our present product is selling well it is better to adopt a policy of safety, which will in no way stop us from pushing on with all speed with E.A.C.2. All these alterations will be necessary before Experimental Dept. can submit chassis to Mr.Royce, and afterwards to Sales, prior to the undertaking of the 10,000 miles' trial in France, or elsewhere. We think it also right to point out that the risk is not so great as the one we have just passed through. -Contd.- | ||