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).
Why car 48-PK is not considered a fair representative of a standard 40/50 car due to its roughness.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 72\4\ scan0240 | |
| Date | 3rd November 1924 | |
| SECRET. X9770 To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from CJ. c. to BJ. c. to PN.{Mr Northey} c. to CWB. REF. 48-PK. CJ14/E3.11.24. Referring to your secret memo. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LG29.10.24., 48-PK is not considered to be a fair representative of a standard 40/50 car. It is too rough. We think it might be difficult to produce a car which could be regarded as a fair example of the standard car which we are prepared to sell to the public as an average representative R.R. car and which the public would be prepared to accept as such but we think that you and EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} know quite well from long experience the qualities of such a chassis. Personally I think it would be wrong if at the outset in connection with EAC.11. we accepted the points in which it is superior to the standard chassis but insisted that in every other respect it should be as good as the best of the standard chassis which have ever been produced. The best of the standard chassis which have ever been produced are entirely accidental, that is to say, they are an extraordinary combination of a number of good points and the Works cannot reproduce them. The same thing occurs xxxxxxxxxx in connection with standard pianos, standard sailing boats and many other articles all built to one design, but there is a standard of silkiness, silence and absence of vibration which has been the hall-mark of R.R. Cars and we cannot afford to sell a car, even though it may have greater power, greater speed, better powers of acceleration, if the above named qualities are sacrificed. Please understand that every one in the Sales Dept. sympathises profoundly with the difficulties of the Expl: and Production Departments and that their inclination in connection with EAC.11. would be to say: 'Give us an average standard 40/50 HP. chassis. Do not aim at vastly improving acceleration or speed except in cases where we specially order a sports model, but for the standard chassis maintain silkiness at all costs'. CJ. | ||