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).
Letter to coachbuilder Park Ward & Co. Ltd. concerning the excessive weight of boot lids.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 117\2\ scan0129 | |
| Date | 5th January 1940 | |
| File Copy. 1021 Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 1/BA. 5th, January, 1940. Messrs. Park Ward & Co.Ltd., 473, High Road, Willesden, LONDON.N.W.10. Dear Mr. Ward, We have been concerned with the weight of the Boot lids on our cars. In particular we were surprised at the weight of the lid{A. J. Lidsey} on 4.B.50, the last car which you built for us, as this is nothing but a cover for the luggage compartment. In comparison with the Buick 8 Cylinder lid{A. J. Lidsey}, which is almost exactly the same size, it is twice as heavy, and Buick's do not employ any light alloy material. We should like you to make a particular effort to reduce the weight of the boot lid{A. J. Lidsey} on the Riplet body which you at present producing, and also we should like you to bring the boot lid{A. J. Lidsey} on 4.B.50 in line with the Buick with regard to the weight, when we send the car down to you shortly to have the front wings altered. We also suggest that you carry out an experiment on 9.B.V. to see how light you can make this boot lid{A. J. Lidsey} and we will test it for durability. We are quite prepared to find that we have gone too far and learn something from a failure. We will let you have the Buick lid{A. J. Lidsey} as a model. We attach a tabulated list of various boot lid{A. J. Lidsey} weights. Yours faithfully for ROLLS-ROYCE LIMITED. | ||