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).
From 'R' discussing the acquisition of a personal car and outlining preferences for an owner-driver saloon over a custom-built vehicle.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 55\1\ Scan162 | |
| Date | 11th April 1932 | |
| HS. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ) DA {Bernard Day - Chassis Design} /EV. {Ivan Evernden - coachwork} ) FROM R. {Sir Henry Royce} ORIGINAL. G. {Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} to SG. {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} WOR. {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} HDY. {William Hardy} re. CAR FOR WW. By all means take this 16-G-4. car from here if it will be a help towards progress. It is difficult to believe that it is of much use since it is all about 4 yrs. old, except the carburetters which however we do not propose to make. The only object in my having a RR. car here is to get acquainted with what we propose to make, so that I have not been interested in 'India' or 'China' for 3 or 4 yrs., and the only work I have done on the China engine is the exhaust pipe with positive sliding joints. It is desirable for a RR. car to be here for obvious reasons. The only type of car that suits the purpose is an owner driver 4 seater saloon, as I want to drive it myself (i.e. not a chauffeur driven car.) I do not want a 'bus, or a show-case, or something that is high and top heavy, with the maximum of glass and gadgets, otherwise, I am not at all particular. It need not be smart, and I prefer it quite inconspicuous. If there is any difficulty in providing such a car, I can hire a Ford, or buy a car from an English maker. It would be a great waste of time and money to make a special car for me, especially if on present production chassis, and I should much prefer one of the standard models, such as the Continental tourer, and really, at the moment I am more interested in either Peregrine, J. {Mr Johnson W.M.} 3., or Bensport, a spare one of which might be made in the next small batch. I would like to remind the Works that when we made the first car we produced 3 sets of parts so as to have a spare one, and now our Company's shares are valued at over £2,000,000., it is difficult for us to get a spare experimental car, the cost of which is comparatively nothing to the cost of the designs. R. {Sir Henry Royce} | ||