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).
Notes from a visit to Phoenix Coachwork regarding car body manufacturing costs and methods.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 111\1\ scan0002 | |
| Date | 13th July 1937 | |
| SECRET. By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. RHO. 804. 1044 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}10/R.13.7.37. PHOENIX COACHWORK. The following are a few notes I made during Wilks' visit:- A set of dies for his car costs £45,000. He expects them to last him about five years - this means a cost of £9 per body, on a basis of 5,000 cars. In addition to the die cost, the 12 H.P. Saloon bodies come out at £72 per piece, £20 of this is wages. He considers, that without going to ridiculous extremes, he would not know how to spend much more than £5 per body extra in order to make it as good as he knows how of this, 7/- would be spent on the finest grade of leather, £1 on carpet, the rest on head-lining and cushions. He cannot obtain the body hardware which he would like. His solution to rattling windows is to fit them all up tight, and then have a low-geared winder. Rattles are due to the glass varying as much as 1/16th of an inch. Wilks stated it was a fallacy that all pressings came out of the die to the correct shape. They had had a great deal of trouble due to the inconsistency of English sheet steel. English sheet is not equally ductile all over. They are now obtaining a complete set of jigs for checking panels, at a cost of £7,000. They have been experimenting with many types of door lock, and have a good one coming along, but they do not know of anything better than the one they are using. Their objection to the Silentbloc, as used by Park Ward, is that it occasionally sticks. We cannot say that in our experience this is a serious objection, except on drop head coupes, where the door is likely to drop a good deal. Wilks recommends buying panels and putting the body shell together in our own Factory, as they do. | ||