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 memorandum discussing the design and selection of the first car body for chassis EAC.10.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 12\3\ X704-0094 | |
| Date | 13th March 1928 | |
| SECRET. (Copy to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}). X7830 Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}4/M/13.3.28. Re: First body for EAC.10. Many thanks for EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}1/9.3.28. We note you agree that it would be inadvisable to try and use the body now on 14.EX. for the first of the above chassis. We note you have some further design work to do on the chassis before it can be completed, and that you will send Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} a design for the sub-frame as soon as possible. This leads us to believe that there will be some differences in the body building space between it and 14.EX. but in any case, we agree it is useless to actually order a body as no construction can be commenced until the Coachbuilder has the sub-frame. If, however, we knew what the body building space was to be, we could be getting on with the design, the basis of which we propose to take as the body now on 14.EX. and as R.{Sir Henry Royce} likes this body, it would at least get over the difficulty you refer to of him not liking the bodies that are produced. At the moment, we presume it is clear that nothing can be done until we are clear as to the body building space. You then say are you right in assuming that we will choose the designs of the two large bodies. Our idea is that one of the two large bodies will be the one mentioned above, because we understand it is a 6-seater with face-forward seats, which covers the description of a large body. The nature of its construction, however, with all leather top, is very favourable to the chassis, and we feel that the other closed body should be of more normal and usual construction, so that we shall have for experimental purposes a car with a body of the type which will in many cases be fitted to it, as we feel sure everyone will agree it is useless to only fit the most favourable types of bodies, from the point of view of chassis, to the experimental cars, when we know that quite a large number of chassis put into production will have more orthodox types of bodies. We will go into the question of the design of this body as soon as the first one is fixed up, and we should like to work in conjunction with you, but if the body to which we refer above, does not meet with R's approval, we are quite prepared to accept the responsibility. As regards the Sports Saloon, we note you will deal with this matter as soon as you have completed more urgent work - 1 - | ||