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).
Communication regarding car testing, parts dispatch, and comparison with competitor vehicles.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 82\2\ scan0151 | |
| Date | 4th August 1934 | |
| G.W.Hancock, Esq., Hotel de France, Chateauroux, Indre, France. J 453a From Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/MJ.4.8.34. We have received your telegrams asking for a new windscreen pillar and new axle pinion. We have despatched the axle pinion and the windscreen is being dealt with by Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}- we hope this will arrive before very long. We are sending Bowering over with 28-EX. He should leave Derby on the 11th. We realise that you will be unable to run three cars at once at Chateauroux and we have no more men available for the french tests, therefore we wish Grylls to bring the Bentley back when Bn.{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} has tried it on the 27th. We hope that in the interval you will be able to get the radiator springs and steering tests completed. We do not mind if 28-EX. does not do much mileage until after the Bentley leaves. It has however been hanging about here for so long that we must get it away from the Works. The holidays provide a convenient date to work to. When you have complete the 10,000 miles on 21-G4 we are hoping to get the Cadillac 16 across. This car will then be running in parallel with 28-EX. so that you will be able to get direct comparisons of performance, smoothness, mechanical reliability etc. It will also be a test of the body and wings. We have been telling Sales for a long time that the Americans are far ahead of us in the matter of door knocks, hinges, body rigidity generally, and wings, and for this reason we do not want you to patch up 28-EX. more than is necessary to keep the car running. At the conclusion of the tests we shall then take the C.S.C. out on the two cars. We hope that you have been able to take the Bentley with the strengthened type axle over some really bad roads so that we shall be certain that it is unlikely to fail. We note the oil leak on the 20/25. If you can do anything to reduce this by increasing the depression due to the carburetter breather or having the facing forward gearbox cover it would be very useful because we think it is something to do with the clutch trouble which is still persistent on the 20/25. We note your tests with the louvred and plain bonnet. The results are just what we want. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||