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).
Secret internal communication requesting the early release of a Wraith car for reconditioning and demonstration purposes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 108\3\ scan0001 | |
| Date | 26th July 1938 | |
| 660 SECRET. S/W. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}6/KW26.7.38. You will remember saying to me some little while ago that you had a Wraith which was really surplus to your requirements, and you asked whether we could take it over. Your idea at the time was that if we did so we could use it at once and so get results of mileage for you. Unfortunately, it was a little premature for us to do that. I am anxious, however, to get hold of that car in time for it to be reconditioned as regards the bodywork and available for demonstration in London on the 28th of September. I suppose we ought to allow ourselves three weeks for dealing with the bodywork and bringing it to the high standard we usually seek in demonstration cars as regards appearance as well as performance. Therefore, I am wondering whether you could arrange to release the car in question to us, say, at the beginning of September so as to give us time to get the Coachbuilders to make a nice job of it. It will be of great help to us if you can do this because when we announce Wraith, and in view of the fact that the first 24 chassis are all absorbed for exhibition and trials purposes, we should in the ordinary way have nothing available to exhibit in our Showrooms on the morning of the announcement. Whilst it is true that we have reserved two cars for ourselves for demonstration purposes which should be ready on that day, we rather feel, in view of the fact that people will inevitably visit our Showrooms with the expectation of being able to see this model, we ought to keep these two cars there anyway for a few days and give demonstration runs on the car above referred to. Would you therefore kindly let me know whether you would be able to help us to this extent. Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager} Rule | ||