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).
Bodywork faults on a 7-EX car, specifically the flexible scuttle, and suggesting engineering solutions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 71\1\ scan0214 | |
| Date | 18th June 1926 | |
| To LHS.{Lord Herbert Scott} from R.{Sir Henry Royce} c. to BJ. C. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X8830 R3/M18.6.26. 7-EX X.8830 X5830 X.8770 We returned 7-EX car by DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} to Barkers because the body was unsatisfactory. The most glaring fault is the transverse movement of the windscreen, the upper part of the scuttle, and instrument board. This is caused by the flexibility of the scuttle. The fault is in no way due to the body having a Beatonson head, being on an underframe, or the twisting of the chassis frame, but is entirely due to the weight of the windscreen being carried on the flexible arch and uprights of the scuttle. Had this scuttle been tied to the dashboard by long bolts and rubber as in the earlier days, this motion would not have been nearly so bad, but since it is desired for other reasons that the scuttle shall be detached from the dashboard, it will be a very difficult problem to make it sufficiently rigid that it will not quiver like a table with long and badly attached legs. Naturally we engineers would endeavour to cross brace diagonally the space under the scuttle, but probably this would be difficult, and it might only be possible to reinforce the armature upon which the scuttle is built by suitable steel plates of varying depth according to the bending to which they are subjected. You will also see that this portion of the bodywork failed in the case of the 10,000 miles trial on the 20 HP., just returned from France. contd :- | ||