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 discussing sourcing Citroen parts and investigating the performance gains from streamlining on a Bugatti.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 128\1\ scan0246 | |
| Date | 16th July 1936 | |
| To: "Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}" WORKS. Srl/Crn.16.7.36. Citroen parts. I am absolutely in a flat spin about the Citroen parts. Pierre Michelin has gone away - goodness knows where - and their spare part department is, as you know, in a general mess. I still revert to my original idea that you should allow me to buy a secondhand Citroen, which I could certainly do at a reasonable figure, send it over to you after having registered it in my name as a resident in France. By these means no duty would have to be paid. When you have finished 'playing' with the car, it could be built up sufficiently for it to be sent back to France. Upon its return over here we could then sell the car. I understand that a car of the type needed could be purchased for approximately £100 (Fcs.7,500.- to Fcs.8,000.-) and the loss on the resale would be very small. In any case, by adopting my suggestion, you will agree that the expense to the Company would be slight, and all the bits and pieces you need will be at hand. Please do not think that I had let this matter drop - as a matter of fact I have been very worried about it. I have also been 'sweating on the top line' to obtain the exact figures of the gain in speed due to streamlining on the Bugatti, but it is evident that the Bugatti people do not know themselves. The only figure I have got, which cannot be considered definite, is 18 kms per hour. However, as the car with the highest axle ratio definitely attained 235 kms an hour, and as their standard car has difficulty in reaching 160 kms per hour, I am of the opinion that the gain in speed, due to streamlining, must be considerably more than 18 kms per hour, or else we do not know anything about getting extra power on our own chassis :: Sr [Handwritten signature] | ||