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).
Delayed arrival of the GSN-5 Maythorn trial car and a proposed tail-bearing modification.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 107\1\ scan0073 | |
| Date | 2nd July 1931 | |
| G.N.S.2. S/W. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}..from PN.{Mr Northey} Copy to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} PN.{Mr Northey}10/WT2.7.31. In reply to your Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/AD1.7.31 I wired you as follows :- "GSN-5 MAYTHORN SHOULD ARRIVE THIS EVENING". Undoubtedly it was hoped that this car would have finished its trial run engagements enabling it to be with you yesterday evening, but there has been more work of that nature to deal with than was anticipated, and the car should be at Derby this evening after leaving Hamshaws, Leicester. You hold out the hope that this car may be more suitable for trials purposes than at present, as a result of the new W.W. tail-bearing being fitted. It must not be forgotten that there is another point of view, which is that demonstration cars are fundamentally intended to indicate to an enquirer the sort of car and performance which he will realise himself in the event of his giving us an order, but it seems to me that this proposed modification, however successful it may ultimately prove to be, would constitute a definite change in practice not included on a considerable number of chassis yet unsold, quite apart from the fact that whilst we may all agree the general scheme is highly desirable, no long mileage will have been run with this modification, and our only practical experience in respect of it is on GLR-60, which has a purely experimental and very different detailed scheme to that proposed by W.W. We hope that GNS-5 will not be kept a day longer than possible - we at present are counting upon receiving it back in one week please, and as to the device remaining on the car we can discuss this later on, after satisfactory tests have been made by you and us. PN.{Mr Northey} | ||