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).
Bearings for Mr. Geoffrey Vandervell and suggestions for performance improvements including a high compression cylinder head.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 88\1\ scan0291 | |
| Date | 9th November 1936 | |
| 1020 W/S. Blb. from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}7/R.9.11.36. re: Mr. Geoffrey Vandervell. Bly{B. W. Bleaney - Bentley Sales}9/R6.11.36. & Bly{B. W. Bleaney - Bentley Sales}12/R6.11.36. With reference to your notes regarding this gentleman. We are in correspondence with the Company with regard to the bearings they are supplying to us, but they are not yet to hand. We are certainly going to try them on an experimental car as soon as we can get hold of them. With regard to the high compression cylinder head, I suggest that you tell him that if, in the future, we develop a head which gives improved performance we will make sure that he is advised, and give him the opportunity of purchasing. I think the cost of a head is about £40. If he wants to improve the performance on a car, the way to do it is to reduce the body weight. Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} has a complete specification of the French Van Hooren which weighed 13½ cwts. only, and was quite a practical proposition. Van den Plas could probably build him a replica. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||