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).
Outlining points for discussion regarding an upcoming visit to America concerning car testing, contracts, and acceptance procedures.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\4\ Scan199 | |
| Date | 22th September 1930 | |
| X 2772. To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Hsl/AD22.9.30. AMERICAN VISIT. There are several points in connection with this visit that I would like to have your views upon before I leave so that I shall know clearly what is expected. (1) What is the purpose of the visit. Is it that R R.{Sir Henry Royce} Ltd. wish to satisfy themselves that the car is suitable for U.S.A. conditions, or is it that R.R. U.S.A. wish to test and examine this car and criticise it. As I understand it the L.H. cars which are being produced will be exactly the same as the one I take out, so that unless there is some thing exceptional about U.S.A. conditions the car I have must be accepted as a model of what will be delivered. (2) Contract on deliveries. In order to be able to discuss matters intelligently I should know the terms of the contract we have for producing L.H. cars for U.S.A. I am particularly interested as regards the terms of delivery because if, for instance, we put in hand a batch of L.H. cars and it takes them a long time to absorb them, it is probable the last of the L.H. cars will be out of date compared with the R.H. car being delivered at the same time. one understands they still have a considerable stock of P.1. cars and they may try and sell the U.S.A. P.1. and the P.2. ata higher price at the same time. If this is so, until they have got rid of their stock of P.1's the demand for P.2.s may be slow. one assumes it would pay them better to sell one of their own cars than it would one of the imported P.2's. (3) Acceptance of cars. We should like to know whether R.R. U.S.A. accept the cars on Derby tests or have they the right to reject any car which they consider is not suitable. Have we any control over the final test of cars? We know that the whole success of the car can be spoilt if insufficient care is taken on the final test. We must expect that a customer who pays over 20,000 dollars for a car has a right to complain if it does not suit him. We know that on springing alone we have got to expect to carry out alterations on the final car, and therefore a stock of springs will have to be kept in U.S.A. | ||