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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).
Visit to coachbuilder Mulliners, discussing Bentley body costs and construction methods.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 117\1\  scan0161
Date  4th November 1937
  
By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}
c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}

1021
also 60
1260

Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/R.4.11.37.

VISIT TO MULLINERS.

We give below for reference purposes our impressions of our visit to Mulliners on Monday last, November 1st.

During the initial discussion, Mr. Antweiler mentioned some cost figures of bodies. He stated that he could produce Bentley bodies by the composite construction method at a cost of £220 per body if ordered in batches of 100, and £200 per body and wings if ordered in batches of 200. He also mentioned a figure of £110 as the price of a similar body if ordered in big quantities such as 500 or 1,000, but Mr. Green, who accompanied us on the trip, thought that this last figure was altogether too optimistic. However, he is going into the matter in detail with Mulliners, and presumably will submit a price for bodies in batches of 500.

It was apparent from this discussion that Messrs. Mulliner were not in favour of the present semi-steel construction which they are at present manufacturing for Daimlers.

We next walked into the shop and examined their methods of manufacture. The Mulliner composite construction is a wood frame with cloth insertions at all joints to avoid squeaks. This frame is covered with steel panelling. The construction is rather like that of Van Voorens, the only body we have which compares favourably for durability with Park Ward's.

There appears to steps between the Mulliner composite body and the fully pressed steel body:-

(a) A body of the Mulliner type fitted with a pressed steel front end. This pressing would comprise what we know as the dashboard, also the scuttle and wind screen frame. We understand that the tool cost for this piece might be £12,000. In our experience the front end of the body is, of course the weakest part of the structure. Curiously enough, Mulliners do not seem particularly in favour of this procedure, consider it is unnecessary,
  
  


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