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).
Design of the speedometer and rev counter for Bentley vehicles, including dial size and a new proposed layout.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 59\2\ Scan360 | |
| Date | 19th February 1934 | |
| 86051 Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst.3/MA.19.2.34. Re. Speedometer and Rev Counter for Bentley. Referring to your Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}6/KW.16.2.34., the A.T.Speedometer Co., inform us that they cannot give us a smaller dial than 4½" and we are obtaining one of these for inspection. The question of instruments however, for the Bentley is again under consideration in view of Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}'s remarks regarding translucent dials etc., and we have proposed a scheme which is now being drawn out, for the speedometer and rev counter to be arranged in a new position immediately in front of the driver with two similar instruments grouped inside the main instrument, the whole instrument lit by reflection from the main translucent dial. This scheme is of course very experimental at the moment but we consider you ought to know of this possible development in view of your request for the smaller dials. It will be realised that small detail modifications to our existing instruments from time to time prove expensive as it alters our production programme and also the tooling arrangement at the A.T.Co. We have already standardised a new arrangement of the dials with reversed operation of the needle, and we are not anxious to make any further alterations to these instruments unless it is considered absolutely necessary. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst. | ||