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).
Trialling competitor cars, the Talbot 9C and a small Fiat, to inform the development and cost analysis of the unsupercharged Peregrine model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 1\8\ B001_X100 Engine Chassis-page023 | |
| Date | 4th January 1932 | |
| Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 84027. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/ADL.1.32. x535. PEREGRINE Sales have now tried the Talbot 9C. with a view to getting an idea what an unsupercharged Peregrine would be like if produced for A/B.2. We think that they certainly ought to try the small Fiat because we think that this car is a very close approach to the Rolls-Royce Peregrine we shall eventually produce. We may get slightly better performance but the Fiat has a shade larger engine so that these two items will approximately balance out. We think that unless Sales try this car and appreciate what can be done for £375, they may not realise ~~and appreciate what~~ some of the difficulties they will have in trying to fill the factory with orders for Peregrine at £800 or £900. Also it may give production a chance to analyse this car, if Sales agreed that it was a "nice" vehicle, and compare it with Peregrine as designed to see where the greatest difference in cost is likely to lie. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||