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).
Logistics of sending 'SS' Experimental Chassis to the USA for testing and demonstration.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\3\ Scan064 | |
| Date | 8th April 1929 | |
| x7772 HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Copy to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} re "SS{S. Smith}" Experimental Chassis for USA. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}14/E8.4.29 I wrote to Mr.Fuller in February giving him the types of bodies we propose to fit, and have received his reply agreeing that they will form a good trio to demonstrate the complete cars under American conditions. He then goes on to say: "When Mr.Hives came over some years ago with Experimental Chassis 4 EX, it was arranged with the New Yorks Customs to admit it under six months' bond, and in line with your letter we are taking that subject up with the Customs' Department now to see if they will admit 3 cars under bond. Should these complete jobs prove satisfactory in every respect and you would wish to release them for sale, we would, of course, be glad to arrange to take them over from you and pay for them, but please do not overlook the fact that these completed cars must have American type wheels, so as to enable a purchaser, should they be sold in America, to have something for which he could obtain tires. We assume however that the greater probability is that these cars will have to be shipped back to England for such changes as the tests may show to be necessary, so these cars will remain your property and the proposed order for the production of 200 "SS{S. Smith}" chassis suitable for America will follow subsequent to these tests." I should be glad to have your comments in regard to how many of these cars it is proposed to send to America for testing. I had in mind only one but I may be wrong. With regard to American wheels, do you think the best way would be to ask America if they would care to send us over three sets of wheels? We could doubtless give them the hub drawings immediately. As regards the eventual disposal of the three cars I should like to have your comments. One of them will have to form the sample which will be the basis of the standard for the others to attain to and will be referred to in the contract. I should them have thought that probably America would have liked to have one and we have the other to do further experimental work on with a view to future orders after the first batch of 200. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||