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).
Standardization of petrol tank sizes and the considerations for different models and markets.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 149\3\ scan0088 | |
| Date | 11th July 1939 | |
| 1263 1113. W/K.{Mr Kilner} To Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. By c. Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} PETROL TANKS IN SERVICE. With reference to Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux}7/N.5.7.39, we gave the question of petrol tanks serious consideration when we were planning the Rationalised Programme. The only two tanks which we recognise as standard are the 16-gallon for B.V. and the 22-gallon for the 8-cylinder car. If anybody wants a different size of tank from these, they will have to pay for it. They will have to pay for the extra cost of making the tank and for fitting it. If we are to retain our fashionable clientele, however, we must be prepared to allow them to have the variations from the standard production if they are willing to pay for them. The "Corniche" or the car which you call the "Sleator Continental", has various departures from the standard production, and there again, the expense incurred in producing these parts is going to be more than compensated for by the price of the car. The big difficulty with regard to petrol tanks is that Sleator lays down as an essential for his work, that a car should be able to run from Paris to Lyons at maximum speed without filling up. This calls for a 22-gallon tank on the B.V. and a 27-gallon tank on the B.50. It is foolish to load up every B.V. sold in this country with a 22-gallon tank when 99% of the people who use their car in England will be perfectly satisfied with a 16-gallon tank. It would not be economical financially nor from the weight saving point of view. For this reason, at the moment, we see no way out of petrol tanks being variable. We do think, however, that all fittings should, as far as possible, be interchangeable on petrol tanks. It may be that we shall find that we can combine the 22-gallon B.50 tank with the 22-gallon B.V. tank later on, but at the present moment this is not possible because we have two different lengths of road springs. Incidentally, what are the service records of petrol tanks apart from the gauges. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||