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).
The supply and pricing of wheels from Rudge-Whitworth, compared to Dunlop.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 159\7\ scan0110 | |
| Date | 24th April 1924 | |
| K921 res as R9A To By. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from BJ. Copies to HS. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} WHEELS. With reference to the last page of the record of conference at Derby on the 14th April 1924, UJ9/E15.4.24, I gathered that Rudge-Whitworth were prepared to supply us with 200 sets of wheels at the agreed price, from their telegram to the Works of the 10th April, reading as follows:- "We are prepared to accept orders for not less than 200 sets each at prices quoted viz, £20 and £27 with sixth wheel at 55/- and 58/- all on understanding that yearly requirements will be approximately one thousand sets in all." It will be seen from this that they would not expect us definitely to bind ourselves to give them an order for 1000, although they presume that our output might be 1000 per annum. With regard to the difference between the Dunlop and Rudge-Whitworth wheels, we have always depended on Mr. Royce and the technical officials to advise us if they consider any alteration is desirable or undesirable, taking into consideration any difference in price. We should not dream of deciding that any alteration should be made against the wishes of the technical officials solely because the alteration would make a reduction in the price of the chassis. Under these circumstances, before any definite decision is come to, or before any of us sign the standardisation sheet, we should like to have a clear report as to the pros and cons of both wheels. We were under the impression that Mr. Royce had helped the Dunlop Company to design their wheel and get it into a satisfactory state, and now that we were helping the Rudge-Whitworth Company also to design a wheel which would be satisfactory to us, provided our technical officials were satisfied with the Rudge-Whitworth new design, and provided the 1,000 miles test was satisfactory, there would be nothing against the changeover being made from Dunlop to Rudge-Whitworth. I am writing rather fully on this point in order to prevent any possibility of misunderstanding on such a very important item, as we of course do not want to take the least risk of supplying wheels which will not be up to Rolls-Royce standard. B.J. | ||