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 to the Wellworthy Piston Ring Co. Ltd. regarding the development and supply of Aerolite pistons for a 4¼ litre Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 148\3\ scan0153 | |
| Date | 31th August 1936 | |
| X1256 Exptl. Dept. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}18/KW. 31st August, 1936. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} Howlett Esq., The Wellworthy Piston Ring Co.Ltd., Lymington, Hants. Dear Mr. Howlett, I am sorry that I missed a point in your letter of the 24th August with regard to the pistons for your 4¼ litre Bentley. The position is that before we standardised the Aerolite piston on the Bentley we covered approximately 250,000 miles with it on experimental cars. During the course of this development we made several modifications to the existing design. Obviously if you produce pistons for the 4¼ litre Bentley it would be quite impossible for us to take any responsibility whatever for them if they were fitted to your car. In view of the tremendous amount of work necessary to ensure that the piston is satisfactory, we are not in a position at present to go into another design as we have many other urgent jobs requiring attention. I hope you will understand that we are in no way biassed as to the respective merits of what we are at present using and what you suggest, but our thirst after knowledge must always be subordinate to commercial considerations. Yours sincerely, FOR ROLLS-ROYCE LIMITED. | ||