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 concerning customer Sir Herbert Smith's dissatisfaction with car 3-BT-81 and its potential sale.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 96\1\ scan0387 | |
| Date | 21th April 1939 | |
| 361 S/W....BY. c. to Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} LA.{L. A. Archer} Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy} C9/C21.4.39 Re 3-BT{Capt. J. S. Burt - Engineer}-81..Sir Herbert Smith,Bt.{Capt. J. S. Burt - Engineer} BY4/MG19.4.39 I am in receipt of your BY4/MG19.4.39 enclosing BY/SB{Mr Bull/Mr Bannister}3/MG19.4.39, from which I note you now look upon this car as quite a nice one and you feel you have done everything you can to make it satisfactory with this type of body. I saw Sir Herbert last night, and he will not have the car, as I expect Mr Bull gathered. He agreed it is considerably better than it was on previous occasions on which he has tried it, but it is still not up to his other Phantom III. I was sorry that the present body could not be transferred to a new chassis, and as this would have made an easier arrangement for us, but he has now definitely decided he will have to have a body with some tie to the roof, in the same way that his other Phantom has, which he looks upon as the best car he has ever possessed. We note you consider 3-BT{Capt. J. S. Burt - Engineer}-81 to be perfectly saleable. We have already asked you to send it to us and we are offering it for sale. Incidentally I emphasised to Sir Herbert that in our opinion, if he had not been driving the two cars and was able to compare the one with the other, we do not think he would have had nearly so serious an objection to the car in question as he has. He would not accept this, however, because he looks upon 3-BT{Capt. J. S. Burt - Engineer}-81 as a nasty motorcar and one that he does not feel safe in driving fast. C. | ||