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).
The unsuitability of the R.100 headlamp's dipping reflector for use abroad and the impractical adjustments required.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 167\1\ img235 | |
| Date | 13th January 1938 | |
| - 3 - On the question of dipping reflectors to which you and Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} both refer, that is the feature of the scheme which we want to get rid of because of its unsuitability for use abroad and the abuse that drivers of English cars suffer when using such a scheme abroad. To our great regret when months ago the R.100 lamp was being considered and tested out by Wst as a successor to the P.100 he appears to have quite overlooked the fact that they were much less suitable for abroad as recommended for use on Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars than were the P.100's. We must entirely disagree with Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} when he refers to the "small adjustment", that is necessary to make the R.100 as set for use in this Country suitable for use abroad. This has already been referred to by you as not a practical job for an owner. 'It involves :- (1) Carrying a pair of completely different bulbs from the ordinary standard bulb. (2) Carrying two different lamp holders which have to be substituted for the lamp holders already fitted to the headlights. (3) Removing the connection from the distribution board and putting it on the foot switch, with all that entails in the way of taking up floorboards and the not very accessible position of the distribution board in any case. This all has to be reversed again on returning to this Country. No one could call that a "small adjustment". It does seem to me, to be worth not only an effort, (1) but some sacrifice, to eliminate these undesirable features, and (2) that we already have in the schemes tried out an acceptable alternative failing anything better. After you have tried the other spot lamp with dipping reflector I hope we may be able to reach an agreement as to the standardisation of a scheme of headlight illumination and dimming, which will not only be acceptable in this country but entirely suitable for use on the Continent, and I feel we owe it to our customers to try and provide them with something of this nature seeing that so many of our owners take their cars abroad. Perhaps you could provide an opportunity for me (contd) | ||