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).
Facts and history surrounding the exhibition of streamline bodies at Olympia.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\1\ scan0332 | |
| Date | 6th November 1934 | |
| EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}..from C. c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} WOT. LHS.{Lord Herbert Scott} ->Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Cr{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester} X204 C2/C6.11.34 STREAMLINE BODIES. Your memo. Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}3/GC26.10.34. has been handed to me (again I notice no copy was sent to me), and I have looked into the matters contained therein as, of course, there are rather serious issues at stake, inasmuch as you make various statements from which one would infer that you had no concern technically with the bodies that were put into Olympia, and further-more that Sales have ordered three duplicates of one of the bodies without consulting you. The real facts of the matter are as follows:- Streamline Bodies at Olympia. (a) Bentley (Thrupp & Maberly & Park Ward). (b) 40/50 h.p. Rolls-Royce (Park Ward). (a) You say, after criticising B-82-BN{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington}: "We have three such cars built for stock and we feel we must not let them go to the Public in their present state" etc. "We feel that we ought not to build cars for our own stock which break the rules we lay down for Coachbuilders and Agents." The history of Streamline bodies on Bentleys shown at Olympia is that it was agreed that a Streamline body should be shown at Olympia, but not on our Stand, and Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} instructed you personally to this effect and said that you must see that it is the sort of thing we should approve. The Fadden car was quoted very strongly as illustrating the sort of thing that would be approved of because it was an improvement on your original 100 m.p.h. car and was not objected to when completed. It is therefore clear that so far as Olympia bodies were concerned, you were particularly asked to supervise technically anything of this type that was to be exhibited. Furthermore, in August last we were extremely anxious that you should make a further visit | ||