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).
Potential overdrive gearbox for a Vanvooren Bentley following wind tunnel tests, and concerns about a customer's expectations.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 161\1\ scan0055 | |
| Date | 11th November 1937 | |
| 1380 To Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Copy to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}Br. Wind Tunnel Tests on Vanvooren Bentley. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}13/E12.11.37 Referring to Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}17/N.10.11.37 and conversation the other day I am anxious to be clear what we are contemplating doing in this direction. You mentioned that a customer of the name of Rollason might wish to have a car of this type but an essential part of this type seems to be the overdrive gearbox. The position about this is that we have not yet seen a sample and I am without information as to when it could be introduced on production if the sample is OK. We could not let Mr.Rollason have something different from what we were able to offer the public in the ordinary way. I hope that the speeds included in Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}'s memo. will not be given to Mr.Rollason as there may be quite a large discrepancy between the wind tunnel tests of the little model and the reality and, if he ordered a car on these figures and it did not come up to expectation, we should be landed. I gather from Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}'s memo. that the overdrive gearbox gives 120 miles per hour without exceeding our maximum engine revs. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} | ||