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).
Daimler 3½-Litre chassis as a competitor to the Bentley and Rolls-Royce models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 126\4\ scan0094 | |
| Date | 30th September 1935 | |
| H3 X1057 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} FROM Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Daimler 3½-Litre Chassis. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}9/S.30.9.35 Copy to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}C.Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}DT. Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders}Derby. Thanks for E.3/HP.26.9.35, and for the very interesting information given therein. This car is dealt with in 'The Times' of Saturday last, which you may or may not have seen. It is fairly evident that it has been brought out as a direct competitor with the 3½-Litre Bentley. In 'The Times' I see it says that the wheelbase is 10'3 whereas the wheelbase of the Bentley is 10'6 and, as the Daimler has an 8-cylinder engine and the Bentley a 6, one would have thought that the coachwork on the Daimler would be very restricted. I see this is not referred to in your report and I should be glad if we could be given some information on this point. 'The Times' description says that the standard types of bodies provide comfortable room for 5 persons. With regard to the frame and the question of spot welding, I should be interested to hear what you learn about Leyland's and their reasons for giving up this method of construction. One is particularly interested because I see that it is what we are using on SpectreCodename for Phantom III. From 'The Times' article I see that Daimler's have increased the bore of the straight 8, which was brought out as a competitor of the 20/25 RR from a litre capacity of 3.746 to 4.624. In other words they have rather anticipated what we are doing in regard to both the Bentley and the 20/25. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||