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).
Report from the U.S.A. discussing the acquisition of a General Motors La Salle car for engineering analysis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 178\2\ img156 | |
| Date | 3rd March 1934 | |
| COPY OF REPORT RECEIVED FROM Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, IN U.S.A. DATED 17.2.34. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, 7/KW.3.3.34. [Stamp: Received MAR 1934] EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} CARS TO BRING BACK. I gave Seaholm a specification of the parts I wanted in order to fit the G.M. suspension scheme to a 40/50. They are all the new La{L. A. Archer} Salle pieces. It means cutting up a frame etc. and crating it. Seaholm did not say he would not do it, but inferred that it would create a certain amount of bother and that the president might tax him with doing R.R's. engineering for them. He suggested we should buy a complete La{L. A. Archer} Salle. As I had also asked him for a lot of other La{L. A. Archer} Salle pieces such as induction pipes, pistons, it struck me as a possibility, though there are certain objections to bringing two Cadillac cars back with the whole of America to choose from. However, the La{L. A. Archer} Salle is most interesting, and though none have yet been produced, Seaholm thinks he can get one for me by the time I sail. Briefly, the inception of the car is as follows. Cadillacs have found out, in parallel with almost every other American Company, that the big expensive car requires just as much engineering as the cheaper car, but that you do not sell enough of them to make the money required for the development work necessary to keep ahead of the industry. Therefore they, in company with Buicks, have this year entered a lower price field. They have done it by simplifying the design rather than by cutting material or workmanship, and of course the biggest factor, tooling for quantities. The five passenger Sedan is listed at 1595 $. It weighs 4000 lbs. complete on the road - almost exactly the same as the 20/25 Limousine, but they have all steel bodies and wings to contend with besides bumpers. The engine is 3" x 4 1/4, 240 cu.ins., geared to do 80 m.p.h. at 4200 R.P.M. | ||