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).
Experimental body development for the Spectre chassis, including coachbuilder specifications, materials, and programme timing.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 92\1\ scan0087 | |
Date | 27th February 1935 | |
- 2 - E.4/HP.27.2.35. of the programme for experimental body work development, but based on our examination of the Cadillac body and evidence collected from other sources, we feel we have a number of promising features to develop and try out. If the coachbuilder wishes to accept full responsibility for an experimental body to make to their own specification as distinct from our specification, I think we ought to be sure that they are not going to serve us up with just the same sort of body with which we are so familiar especially as we should be paying for it. I feel that there is progress to be made and that unless their specification indicates the presence of promising improvements we ought not to agree to it. With regard to the body itself, there is one more purely experimental body to order for the SpectreCodename for Phantom III, namely No.4. and this was earmarked as a sedanca. This particular type is really not of very great interest to us and we understand that in America they expect trouble when they build a body of this type. I would like to suggest that we should convert No.4. SpectreCodename for Phantom III to another continental saloon, and that the specification be framed accordingly. it records In the minutes given in Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}18/E.22.11.34/the decision that bodies for Nos. 3 and 4 should be ordered from Park Ward's. I do not know whether you have in mind transferring No.4. to some other coachbuilder or whether your memo refers to one of the four later chassis. If the former we fear we should be in trouble on the question of time and that the body would be seriously behind for No.4. SpectreCodename for Phantom III unless we adhere to the original programme. Actually we should like to make No.4. a saloon body panelled throughout in steel instead of aluminium and at our suggestion Park Ward's are very keen to try this and can do it. They are going into the question to tell us what increase of weight would be involved. So far as we can tell at the moment it would be from 40 to 50 lbs as the gauge of steel used would be lighter than the aluminium. Summarising, we should like very much to have your views on the question of:- | ||