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).
Speedometer improvements and supply issues from Smiths for various car models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 165\4\ img270 | |
| Date | 13th February 1935 | |
| W/S - Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} c. to Roy.{Sir Henry Royce} 86051. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}24/KW.13.2.35. Speedometer for R.R. & Bentley Cars. Replying to Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}3/KW.8.2.35. We have been into the instrument question and the facts appear to be these - We are now satisfied that Smiths have overcome the fault in the daily trip and also that the new shape tooth which they have incorporated on the trip setting mechanism is an improvement. Therefore these can be incorporated as soon as Smiths can supply in existing cars. On the Bentley they have been fitted to the lightened instrument and this can be standardised forthwith, but as the lightened instrument is not the same size as the present standard Smith, it will require new instrument boards. This means a delay in getting them to customers. An alternative is to get Smiths to put the new trips in the present Bentley instruments, but they have not yet told us if they are able to do this. We have ascertained that the alteration in size is not sufficient to cause trouble with clearances round the column. The schemes (a), (b) and (c) which you mention are all applicable to the SpectreCodename for Phantom III. As a matter of fact they will not be fitted up until we get the second SpectreCodename for Phantom III car, and as regards the concave lighting, Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} has said that he wishes this to be introduced for the first time on the SpectreCodename for Phantom III. With regard to (d), the improved Bentley instrument which incorporates the larger trip figures is about 10 oz. lighter than the present standard. Summarising the position, therefore, there is no technical reason why you cannot have legible trip figures on all three cars at once. Those for the 40/50 and 20/25 will go into the existing cases: on the Bentley, however, so far they have only been fitted into lighter cases. We anticipate that the improved trips may increase the cost of the instrument slightly. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||