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 various schemes and proposals for improving car ventilation, specifically for the 'Corniche' model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\5\ scan0204 | |
| Date | 8th August 1939 | |
| [Handwritten top left in red ink]: Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Seen [Handwritten top centre in blue ink]: 1245 By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} In answer to a special note I wrote pressing for improved ventilation Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} To Bentley Motors Ltd. Derby...............[Handwritten]: Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} PARIS SPI/ET.8.8.39 Dear Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, I lunched with Paulin yesterday and we discussed very thoroughly the points raised in your Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}8/R.4.8.39. He will answer the last two paragraphs himself as it seems that he has not got all the information in his possession which would enable him to give you a set up of the front end he requires for the car in question. As regards the "Corniche", I have just read Waller's last report, where he points out that, in spite of our latest efforts, the car is still insufficiently ventilated and, during the conversation I had with Paulin, we have agreed that this matter has now definitely got to be settled and, if the car is runable, we shall go down there to-morrow and tackle the question on the spot. There are various schemes we have thought of and one of these should be successful. My first attempt, as I pointed out to Paulin, will be to get so much air into the car that we will start worrying as to how to prevent it getting in. This should be possible if we find a scheme which does not seem very complicated for getting air straight into the transverse pipe which now distributes the air that should come from the front ducts. To do this, we are going to fit a couple of ship's type ventilators direct on to this pipe and protruding out right and left of the scuttle. When we have done this, I think there will be all the air that I am trying to get into the car, and we can then find out how to make a handsome looking job of these ventilators and prevent water from getting in. Another scheme would be to fit a system of ventilators similar to those to be found on aeroplanes for, after all, our problem is very similar to theirs, i.e. ventilating a cabin with closed windows nine times out of ten owing to the speed of the car and the noise if open, whilst at the same time preventing rain from coming in. I am going to get permission from Mr. Lesieur of Air France, closely to examine one of their machines and see how they do it. If we find a means of getting fresh air in from the front top part of the body and then running a flexible pipe all round the roof of the car, with aero type ventilators fitted to it, we might be on the right road to proper ventilation and at the same time produce a very excellent selling point, for, after all, very few cars are properly ventilated. You will see from the above that we really have this question at heart and are going to start chopping up the body, as | ||