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).
Proposal for the future range of car models, including wheelbase, engine, and coachwork options.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 153\3\ scan0236 | |
| Date | 12th January 1944 | |
| -3- than that of the Silver Phantom and the Silver Wraith. In the past, with the exception of the short period when we sold short and long wheelbases Phantom II, the Four Door Saloon was built on the Limousine chassis. Moreover, such Four Door Saloons would in any case be built on the Silver Phantom and Wraith chassis since all the coachwork in this category will be custom built or of small batch production. I would further contend that since this will happen to the Silver Phantom, the identical machine with a Bentley radiator is redundant unless in the Comet one can produce a machine with eminently sporting characteristics associated with the Bentley and Bentley personnel. This I gather it is not intended to do as far as the chassis is concerned. In the matter of coachwork the Corniche 8 cyl. meets the requirement. In the light of the foregoing, I suggest that the range could be re-written thus :- 1. 11 ft. 1 in. wheelbase - 8 cylinder - R.R. Silver Phantom - Limousine and saloon. 2. 11 ft. 1 in. wheelbase - 6 cylinder - R.R. Silver Wraith, - Limousine and saloon. 3. 9 ft. 2 in. wheelbase - 4 cyl. - R.R. Silver Ripple - saloon. 4. 10 ft. 4 ins. wheelbase - 6 or 8 cyl. - Bentley Cresta - saloon. 5. 10 ft. 4 ins. wheelbase - 6 or 8 cyl. - Bentley Corniche - Paulin Body. There would result the following :- (a) 3 frames. (b) 3 engines. (c) 3 custom built bodies, the Limousine, the saloon and the Paulin Corniche. (d) One production built body for Silver Ripple and Bentley Cresta. Having covered the requirements for the production beginning at "E" on the graph, with models as stated above, and containing the minimum of unknowns, the requirements of the period "C" have to be considered. This period is | ||