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 the reasons against purchasing a Maybach gearbox, citing integration difficulties, performance, and royalty costs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 6\2\ 02-page174 | |
| Date | 28th April 1931 | |
| To PN.{Mr Northey} From Ha/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} X523 Ha/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}14/NT.28.4.31. X.2200. X.523. With reference to PN.{Mr Northey}5/WEI.4.31 we do not want to buy a Maybach gearbox because we know now how to make one operate when we use these engaging jaws as they do. Our difficulties at present are due to our particular method of incorporating the jaws in our gearbox together with the epicyclic gear. Other reasons against the Maybach at the present moment in addition to the fact that our particular breed is not working well are as follows - (1) When we live with the Maybach in traffic conditions as on 14-xx, we do not find it without flaws. One would put up with the lack of perfection if there were no schemes in production free from such drawbacks. (2) Royce has turned down the Maybach jaws because of the royalty that they are asking. (3) We have now tried a really good synchro mesh on the Buick and this scheme, which last year was elaborate and complicated, has now been simplified enormously by the Warner people in a box that they brought out in January of this year. There is no doubt that it is still possible to make the Maybach jaws work on the box we have made experimentally. At present the whole subject is awaiting a discussion with R.{Sir Henry Royce} Ha/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||