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).
Confidential memorandum regarding the purchase and technical examination of competitor vehicles for design improvement.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 20\11\ Scan003 | |
| Date | 1st January 1908 | |
| X180 PAGE 2. CJ11/C131211. "Please note confidentially that I have purchased for the information of the Technical Committee a 38 h.p. Delaunay Belleville, a 45 h.p. Napier, and a 40/50 6-cylinder Lanchester. I have purchased the first because a very good judge of automobiles who has been on our cars, stated that he thought this was the best car he had ever been on. The 45 h.p. Napier I have purchased because I want to ascertain to what extent they have got their axles quiet, and generally for the Committee to judge and to inform me how near, in their opinion, the 45 Napier approaches the Rolls-Royce cars which we are turning out at present. I want the same things as regards the Lanchester, but the Lanchester should interest us particularly in reference to worm gear. They have been using it for so long a period that it will be surprising to me if we cannot pick up invaluable information from their practice. The Technical Committee can take these cars to pieces after they have tried them, and they should be carefully examined by the head draughtsman with a view to seeing whether there may not be points in them which might be introduced with benefit into our own designs. When the Technical Committee have done with these chassis we will sell them. There is always a danger that the Technical Committee may be misled (living as they do in a small town in the Midlands with very little opportunity of seeing other cars) into the belief that our car is far ahead of every one else's car. The fact that our car is selling well at present may lull them into a false sense of security. For this reason I think it is indispensable that we should yearly buy for the information of the Committee some of the cars which appear to approach in excellence most nearly to Rolls-Royce, and in examining cars we must remember that the reputation of Rolls-Royce was largely made on the fact that it was very silent. Therefore, it will interest me to know to what extent each of these cars approaches ours in excellence under various conditions such as engine running light, acceleration on first gear, acceleration on second gear, acceleration on third gear, full load at low speed, full load at M of M/1000/1/08/W S & S Ltd (7388) | ||