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).
Objections to the pillarless body design of the Bentley Paris Trials Car by Vanvooren.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\1\ Scan266 | |
| Date | 9th April 1935 | |
| 44013 To Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Copy to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} SR. E/Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}1/MN.9.4.35. Re Bentley Paris Trials Car. With reference to your Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/KW.6.4.35, we presume the body in question is by Messrs.Vanvooren of Paris who have the patent rights for the pillarless saloon and hold the patent rights for the Thiery-daste Silent Travel Body. We presume therefore that the body in question is built on the silent travel principle. We understood that it was the intention that after this car had put up a considerable mileage on the Continent it should come to England for inspection by Coachbuilders and ourselves. It is quite possible that a pillarless saloon built on the silent travel principle may be lighter than our standard Park Ward Saloon of rigid construction, because the metal centre pillar is deleted, and much of the ironing in the body is also deleted because the body is allowed to be flexible. In the case of the car in question it would appear from the weights you have given that this saving on the body has compensated for the use of steel front wings and running boards and a steel scuttle, which we believe to be the standard Vanvooren practice. The objections which one has to the pillarless body are:- 1. It is necessary to hinge the front door on the screen pillar, which means that the pillar has to be vertical, so spoiling the appearance of the car and the entrance to the front seat. If the pillar is sloping as in the case of the car in question the door will only stay open whilst it is held open unless hinges with catches are used. These are of the concealed type and are generally very unsatisfactory. 2. The rear door has to be hung on the rear quarter pillar which has to be vertical. Two hinges only at about 12 inches centres can be obtained to carry this body. The vertical pillar prevents one obtaining a body rear quarter shape the same as on our standard saloon which is in harmony with the sloping boot. Contd: | ||