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).
Sales strategy to convince Mr. C.R. Fairey to purchase a Phantom III.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 96\1\ scan0203 | |
| Date | 2nd September 1937 | |
| 361. S/W. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Mr. C.R.Fairey CxIO/KW2.9.37. I have on two occasions already got Mr.Fairey to try the Phantom III, and quite obviously he likes the car very much. What is preventing him however, from buying is that he maintains that when he bought his Phantom II we gave him a special chassis in the sense that special work was done to it to improve its performance and make it rather above the average. You will doubtless know what was done to the Phantom II in the way he indicates. He says Mr.Hives knows all about it. Mr.Fairey now states that he is not interested in buying a Phantom III unless we will do similarly to it what was done to his Phantom II by way of making it a little bit above the average. I don't suggest that we have to tell him exactly what we propose to do to bring this about, but I would like to know if there is any way in which we could persuade him to give us the order by letting him think that some special attention will be given to his chassis. Of course his chief desire is to have a better performance, i.e. more speed. Would you consider that a high geared axle would help in some respects to convince him that he is at least getting something special ? It would I think be a very good thing if we could get a Phantom III in his possession because at present many of the Heads of the Fairey Aviation Company are running American cars, and there is quite a fleet of them to be seen outside their headquarters every day, which does not look too well. Also, the son, who has a 3 1/2 litre Bentley, is talking of buying a Mercedes, but he was so thrilled with the Phantom III which I loaned him at Cowes this year that he said it is absolutely the car for his father. If he does buy a Mercedes- which I am trying to prevent - he will I think soon realise that what he ought to have done was to buy a Phantom III instead of a Mercedes, if we fail to sell him a 4 1/4 litre Bentley. Would you therefore please let me have an early reply as to what - if anything - can be done to persuade Mr.Fairey to purchase. If there is nothing at all that can be done then we had better tell him so, and ask him to try the car again and let the result be on its own merits. Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} hld. | ||