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).
Confidential memo discussing car body booming issues, the potential of all-steel bodies, and comparisons to American manufacturers.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\V\October1930-February1931\ Scan004 | |
| Date | 1st October 1930 | |
| SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} C. to LBC. WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} C. to C. PY. C. to HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} DH.{D. Henderson - Showroom} ORIGINAL. CONFIDENTIAL. re. BODIES. R5/W1.10.30. xV.6.30. x7.8.30. x5.8.30. You will remember that for many months and years I have been very anxious that RR. cars shall have bodies that will give the very best satisfaction to the owners. We still think that we are suffering when compared with American makers in this respect, especially as regards cost and lasting qualities, and we are pleased that DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} is finding a channel by which we may be able to try suitable all-steel bodies. With reference to booming, it should be understood that a booming body will boom, no matter what we do to the chassis. We cannot make a chassis which will not be the cause of vibration in a body if that body is waiting to vibrate at the slightest provocation. It has even been proved that running over sets with fairly hard tyres will cause a body to boom as badly as from our engine vibrations and exhaust. It will be seen therefore that it is fruitless to waste time with the chassis as we believe we are constructing them as nearly alike as possible, and which we believe is not the case with the bodies, some being prone to boom at the very slightest provocation, whereas others on the same chassis are quite satisfactory. It will be very interesting to see whether there is any difference when a steel body is fitted to the chassis, and also such as I understand we are now trying to get from the British Pressed Steel Co. Ltd. DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} says that there are some excellent steel bodies supplied on the Lincoln car. There is very little I can do in this subject, but I should like to point out also that there is very little we can do to the chassis. We think that as far as the engine is concerned there may be considerable improvement when we are able to make the modifications to the engine we anticipate in our next design. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||