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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).
Minutes from a conference at the Midland Hotel in Derby.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 18\6\  Scan184
Date  18th September 1920
  
H.R. 199 (230T) (SD676 19-7-17) MP18086s

MINUTES PASSED AT MIDLAND HOTEL CONFERENCE, DERBY, ON SEPTEMBER 18TH 1920.

AGREED -

Left Hand Steering for America and Continent for present Chassis.

That no change to left hand steering be made until we bring out new chassis for the following reasons -
None of these parts would be applicable to Buzzard or Vulture, and the cost of jigs, tools etc. would be, on this side of the Atlantic, probably £20,000 to £30,000, and similar amount would have to be spent in America. Do Springfield realise this? The estimated cost above, at Derby, is without the cost of the Experimental and Design Departments.

3 v.{VIENNA} 4 Speed Gear Box.

(a) To complete experimental tests of the three speed Gear Box with all possible speed. It was also recommended that it was advisable to introduce a plate clutch in conjunction with this Box. The clutch on the Hawk engine shows such great promise that we think the plate clutch for the three speed Gear Box should be pushed forward as early as possible.

(b) That R.{Sir Henry Royce} be informed that the following people - CJ.BJ. PN.{Mr Northey}LHS.{Lord Herbert Scott}C.Ug.Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}D.Wf.BY.Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}Hm.{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs}Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}Sft.{Mr Swift}EFC.Hr.En.Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}, unanimously agreed that from a Sales point of view the four speed Box was far preferable to the three speed Box.

(c) That as far as cost was concerned, the new three speed, as compared with the present four speed Box, would not save much, if anything.

(d) That the three speed Gear Box for present car would not be applicable for Buzzard or Vulture, and that cost of jigs and tools would be considerable, probably between £5,000 and £10,000.

(e) That a new four speed Gear Box, with central change, be designed and carried on at same time as three speed box, in connection with the Vulture and Buzzard.

Batteries and Sparking Plugs.

That in the case of units which are only expected to have a certain life, such as Batteries and Sparking Plugs that two sources of supply could be used on production cars at same time, for instance, chloride batteries and Tudor batteries might be fitted to production cars. The advantages of this scheme are that we shall have two sources of supply and that if one fails or gives trouble we can carry on. It also enables us to prove under service
  
  


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