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).
Design choices for chassis components, balancing cost against performance and market requirements.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 71\2\ scan0081 | |
Date | 14th May 1926 guessed | |
contd :- -2- the contact spring pressure sound, and altogether we should go very slowly before abandoning the Watford which has proved very reliable and has a better reputation. We must not forget that our reputation is our chief excuse for being in business. If we damage this or cause an impression of equality with the crowd we are finished as motor chassis builders. ROAD WHEELS & TYRES. These are to be medium pressure at once, (Mr. Hadin says they cannot sell a single car in USA. with ordinary high pressure tyres.) There are so many reasons for these that their urgency is without question. (Full balloons are not considered much further advance, and undesirable - exactly my first impression.) Semi-balloons are considered quite O.K. without hydraulic shock dampers, but should have the improved axle for safety, and this axle is also more satisfactory in other ways, and will lead to saving in cost, to help with other parts which are unavoidably more costly (explained else-where). I am definitely impressed that the more costly designs are inevitable and are necessary to justify the sale price of the chassis, and that both we and the Works will make reductions in the cost, but with the exception of one or two features nothing very great can be done in the design. Where I attempted to save while designing Sales officials thought the omissions were not permissible i.e. Throttle governor. 3-speed gearbox. (Auto. advance is a necessity, and if the magneto is retained we think we are doing this the best way, and unique i.e. giving Sales value for the cost.) You must have - { (Enclosed valve gear. All of these cost { (Overhead valves. money, and have no { (Convenient adjustment of tappets. Equivalent on the { (Loose head. Silver Ghost. { (Shutters to radiator. { (Auto. advance to magneto. { (Locked ignition. A few parts also are definitely more costly than on the Silver Ghost, for instance, single plate clutch, oil relief valves, spring tension on fan belt, (always wrongly adjusted on Silver Ghost) also four wheel brakes were absolutely necessary etc. And our own electrical installation is more costly (but more reliable and exclusive) than purchased out equipment: we give Sales the equivalent for this extra cost. contd :- | ||