Rolls-Royce Archives
         « Prev  Box Series  Next »        

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).
Progress report on the delays and issues with the 'Myth Experimental Car' project.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 144\2\  scan0109
Date  22th September 1941
  
Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} file 1212

To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} & Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}
Copy to Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/EAG.

MYTH EXPERIMENTAL CAR
--------------------

It will be remembered that, at the last meeting at the Clan Foundry, on 25th June, two Myth frames were inspected. They were not finally welded up and the front pans were missing, otherwise they were complete. All the drawings for the frame had been in Park Ward's hands some little time before the meeting.

Almost three months later, we still have no frame. The ones seen at the Clan Foundry were of course returned to Park Wards for completion. When we get the frame, there will be three or four weeks work marking out and drilling before we can start assembling. Obviously, therefore, we cannot justifiably put much pressure on HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} to complete his parts at the present moment, though we have seen various pieces in course of manufacture and quite a lot of work has been done. One 4-cylinder engine that will fit in the Myth chassis you have already tried on the Rippletto. We have also almost 80% of the bought out parts and the remainder are promised within four weeks with the exception of the final steering wheel and instruments. The latter will not in any case delay the completion of the car since existing standard Bentley pieces can be substituted. In about a fortnight we hope to shew you all that has been made.

It will therefore be seen that the existing bottle neck is the frame.

With a view to accelerating progress we induced Ward to come to Derby on Tuesday, August 26th (after several invitations) to discuss the situation. We shewed him the large number of pieces that we were accumulating and asked him why the completion of the frame had been delayed and what progress had been made with the rest of the body, the completed experimental drawings for which had now been issued.

It appeared that some difficulty had arisen with regard to a suitable machine for spot-welding the frame, but that this problem was now solved. We gathered that work had completely stopped on Myth body for six weeks, due to pressure of war orders, and we believe that the same reason has really had a major bearing on the delivery date of the frame. It was also suggested that repairs carried out on 4.B.50 body had held up work on the Myth. We pointed out that, as long as cars with Park Ward bodies were being driven on urgent Government work by Rolls-Royce officials, repairs to these bodies would be necessary. We had to repair the chassis at the Clan, and we so arranged the job that it did not stop development work. Ward said that he would shortly have men back on car work.
  
  


Copyright Sustain 2025, All Rights Reserved.    whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙