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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).
Rear seat comfort and chassis layout for the Wraith, with comparisons to the Phantom and Cadillac models.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 6\6\  06-page043
Date  27th October 1935
  
X1044
600

Sgr. and Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}
C. Cr{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Hpr Ch.
E.7/HP.27.10.35.

Wraith Chassis.

With further reference to E.1/HP.14.10.35, Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}10/E.17.10.35, and Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/WJ.21.10.35, I think it will be worth while if I answer some of the points raised prior to the next meeting with Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} in Derby, as follows:-

Comfort.
We cannot agree that the layout of the Wraith chassis up-to-date is not going to provide greatly increased rear seat comfort.

The relative positions of rear seat and rear axle is not the only factor involved, and up till the time when Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} discovered the hump back kick on SpectreCodename for Phantom III the rear seat ride on this car was agreed to be phenominally good and superior to Cadillac in spite of its relatively worse rear seat position.

We have been compelled to recede from this riding standard somewhat, but the Phantom 3 rear seat ride on limousine coachwork is still a big advance on Phantom 2, and we hope in time to recapture the advantage lost.

It must be agreed that on any given car the further forward the rear seat relative to the axle, the greater the comfort, but who would suggest pushing back Phantom 3 rear axle 8", and thereby rendering the car unfit for use in London. The Cadillac we have is an impossible car in London traffic.

We have got to accept the limousine body and the saloon with plenty of floor space, and make them practicable on a reasonable wheelbase. These are very popular bodies in which we have made our name and built up our trade, and we are the most successful builders of this type.

There are a large number of our customers who object to sitting in a close coupled position on top of
  
  


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