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).
Problem of 'booming' in car bodies and the collaborative efforts to resolve it.
| Identifier | Morton\M19\ img093 | |
| Date | 23th December 1930 | |
| To EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c. to C. c. to EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to PN.{Mr Northey} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} M.6/MJ.23.12.30. x634 BOOMING. We have been concentrating our energies on 'booming' for some time past. We were asked to say what we did to 25-EX, to make it into a good car. What we actually did was to damp all surfaces that were likely to boom with felt and wood. We do not consider that what we did was desirable from a coachbuilder's point of view because we did not know enough about this side of the subject and it is really impossible for us working from Derby to give you any very helpful suggestions. As a matter of fact, when we had finished with 25-EX, it was still a body that 'boomed' very badly. We have really, therefore, been working exclusively on the chassis side of the problem and are satisfied that we are making definite progress. At the same time, from our conversation with EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}, we believe he is fully aware of all that can be done to the coachwork, and if London will continue to direct their energies on this most important side of the question we think that between us we shall achieve some good result. We shall of course co-operate with EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} in every way possible in regard to helping him with any apparatus he requires but we think that the question of the bodies is essentially a job that must be dealt with through London. We shall submit to Sales in due course 18-G4., so arranged that it will have incorporated on it all the improvements we know of and perhaps then EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} in conjunction with Messrs. Park Wards will do as much as he thinks is practical in the coachwork line. This will enable us to compute a value for each side of the case. The coachbuilders will always endeavour to make us shoulder as many of their troubles as they can but our capacity is too limited to work on their problems, and furthermore, since they get profit on the chassis and on their body it is not an economical proposition to allow them to share our responsibilities. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} | ||