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).
Development of a sports model and the risks associated with high-speed chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 70\1\ scan0245 | |
| Date | 1st May 1927 | |
| #S X8774 To H.R. from BJ. Copy to WOT. Copy to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Copy to LHS.{Lord Herbert Scott} Copy to SY. Copy to Ol. 10-EX. Sports Model. BJ2/E4/5/27 I was interested to see in your R9/M29/4/27 that 7-EX with a heavy body in France was capable of running at 80 Miles an hour. I consider that 80 miles per hour is even more than any reasonable customer can really require, and extremely few are likely to require 100 miles an hour. We have never endeavoured to cater for, or wished our name to be associated with the super-speedmerchants. Referring to your R14/M29/4/27, I understand that these experiments with a special speed model may give you information and experience which will enable you to make certain improvements in the standard model. Generally speaking our ideas on this point were contained in BJ7/E29/11/26, copy of which is attached. If we ever marketed a special chassis for speed, it would be impossible for us to guarantee that the purchaser would not eventually sell it, and some one else might have a heavy closed body put on the chassis and thereby give a very wrong impression of our cars. BJ. Enc. Copy of BJ7/E29/11/26 | ||