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).
Secret memo discussing bodywork proposals and testing plans with coachbuilders Park Ward for Bentley and Phoenix models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 83\2\ scan0152 | |
| Date | 12th December 1937 | |
| SECRET. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} To Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Copy to Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} re Park Wards. Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}10/E10.12.37 I had a call yesterday from Mr.Roberts and Mr.Falconer. I will tell you more about it when you are here. Briefly they are quite prepared to deal with our requirements under Scheme No.1 and Scheme No.2. No.1, as you know, is the cheaper body for Bentley Sports and No.2 is the body for Phoenix. They agree that a special factory would be necessary. I told them that the body under No.1 must be at least as good as the Bentley of to-day and the body under Scheme No.2 must be at least as good as the Humber Snipe, one of which they are going to get hold of to see so that we know what standard we are working to. The price for the latter is still £150 without division. They are very anxious to test the steel body to the new form of construction about which they approached me some few weeks ago. If it is a success they would probably want to adopt it for the Schemes 1 and 2; if it is not a success they would use the form of construction of to-day. A point arises as to how we can test this body quickly. They say it is ready and could be mounted, fitted and completed on a chassis in 2 weeks. To put it on a new chassis, make it second-hand and run it in France would be very expensive. Another alternative suggested itself to me and that is that 6-B-IV, which is just going to be put through a test, could have its body removed and this other one put on. Park Wards have promised they could do it in 2 weeks. 6-B-IV is in London at the moment. It has not yet, I think, been sufficiently used for the body to be damaged and it could probably be put on a new chassis, done up where necessary and sold as new. I am sending a copy of this memo, to Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} so | ||