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).
Coachwork design, production sources, and challenges for Phantom, Silver Wraith, and Bentley models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 153\3\ scan0238 | |
| Date | 12th January 1944 | |
| -5- Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}1/JH.12.1.44. Phantom, Silver Wraith Limousine and Four Door Saloon will have to be drawn and produced by Park Ward & Co. This is one of the most backward portions of the Stage I programme as until full size drawings, filled in with detail have been produced, prototype parts and an assembled body made, cost figures cannot be arrived at for complete cars. The case of the coachwork for Bentley Cresta and Silver Ripple is even more serious. There would appear to be two possible sources from which this body could be derived, 1. Park Ward - Designs for the body using a modernised and cheapened Park Ward all-steel construction would have to be produced and prototype built. I would suggest that the present works is not suitable either in design or location. Costing can be done most easily by using parts of the prototype body as samples, so avoiding the long process of producing detail drawings, provided the new Works has been allocated and organised and the component production and assembly plant fully planned. We cannot assist Mr. Ward by trying to do this work here, because :- a.{Mr Adams} We have not, and cannot have the personnel unless labour restrictions on non-essential war work are relaxed. b. We do not know Park Ward Construction in detail or the peculiar production problems which it involves. c. Any conclusions so arrived at would be most likely contested by Mr. Ward. I suggest that it might be possible to get Mr. Ward to start work on this task, only if he were given a directive from the Park Ward Board of Directors. This would remove one of his most serious limitations to action, but owing to the congested nature of his present premises even to do any drawing on cars is almost impossible, without the whole works knowing. To set up a small office nearby would entil the danger of interference by the Ministry of Labour, unless he is able to obtain the necessary agreement, which we might help him in doing as a Company. 2. The alternative source of supply would be from some well-known all steel body producing concern such as Pressed Steel, Cowley Oxon. In this case, I suggest that the farthest we here should go would be to hand to them a full scale drawing of the body, allowing them to | ||