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).
Status of car 19-EX being a 'write off' and the urgent need for a Continental Phantom test car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\1\ Scan255 | |
| Date | 24th February 1933 | |
| To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. WOr.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} V7120 Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/AD24.2.33. Y79-W 19-EX. Replying to SgS/E21.2.33. From the photographs I have seen of the smash and the reports we have received, it looks as though 19-EX will be a "write off". The car is on its way back now. The only other P.II car we have running is 20-EX. This car is fitted with an enormous Limousine body and we wish to keep it like that as representing the big standard car with low rating springs. 22-EX is at present being overhauled. This car had fitted to it an experimental frame which was twice as thick as the present standard one. The tests with it are now completed and we are replacing it with a standard frame. The chief reason for doing this is that a lot of new parts instructed could not be fitted because of the odd frame. We shall not get 22-EX running until 4 to 6 weeks. This car also has a big body which was taken off the Left-Hand car 25-EX. We very urgently require a Phantom car of the Continental type. We have still a lot of tests to do on shock absorbers and it must be realised that the Works have been instructed and are now actually producing the parts so that it is essential we should get a car running without delay. We hope it can be arranged to let us have 85-JS{Mr Johnson's Secretary} and also that we shall be able to have it within a week. We have a number of interesting parts also ready to fit to the Continental Phantom. We consider it is urgent that the car should be running about with these parts as soon as possible. We are already receiving criticism that the latest Continental Phantom is not fast enough and this complaint will become more acute with the introduction of the Bensport. We set out a whole programme of work to be done on 19-EX and now we have lost the car it would be a waste of valuable effort unless we can replace it at once and carry on with the job. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||