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 from Iliffe & Sons Ltd. discussing a pre-selector gearbox mechanism and its designer.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 136\2\ scan0183 | |
| Date | 21th February 1940 | |
| 1153 TELEPHONE: WATERLOO 3333 (50 LINES). TELEGRAMS: AUTOCARS,SEDIST,LONDON. Iliffe & Sons Ltd. Dorset House, Stamford Street, London, S.E.1. 21st February, 1940. W. A.{Mr Adams} Robotham, Esq., Messrs Rolls-Royce Ltd., D E R B Y. F/K Dear Mr. Robotham, I am glad to observe from your letter of the 16th instant that you are interested in the pre-selector mechanism operating the synchromesh gear box described in "The Autocar" of February 9th. The name and address of the designer who drew our attention to this device is:- A.{Mr Adams} B. Oliver, 8, Portland Street, Leamington Spa. This control of gear box from the steering wheel is a scheme I have advocated for a long time. I wrote to Mr. Sidgreaves urging the idea four or five years ago and I made a good deal of it in the paper I read before the Institution of Automobile Engineers in 1938, as you may remember. I wonder what the post-war motor car will be like? Whenever I forgather a few friends this subject crops up, and it is very nice to know at any rate that you are occupying your brain with this important problem. Kind regards and hoping you are well, Yours sincerely, Geoffrey Smith DIRECTOR. | ||