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).
Adaptability of Lucas R.100 headlamps for continental use and comparing different lighting systems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 167\1\ img225 | |
| Date | 15th December 1937 | |
| To Ey. from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/IMW.{Ivan M. Waller - Head of Chateauroux} c. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. Ey/RD. c. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/HC. 8 6116 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/IMW.{Ivan M. Waller - Head of Chateauroux}3/MH.{M. Huckerby}15.12.37. RC{R. Childs} LUCAS R.100 HEADLAMPS. ADAPTABILITY FOR CONTINENTAL USE. This vexed question has gone on long enough and it is now time for a definite decision to be made. Suggestions have been put forward by Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}, Hn{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders}, Ey/RD, Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/HC, and various lines are being worked on, but there is no unanimity of ideas and no indication of getting any further. The following points, however, stand out and will not be disagreed with. (1) The dip and switch system is the best for picking out cyclists etc. when meeting other headlamps and is the most acceptable system for England. (2) The Continental system with twin filament lamps does not satisfy the average driver for English conditions, (3) The system of changing over from the headlamps to a centre lamp by means of the footswitch is too much dependent on the characteristics and alignment of the centre lamp to be generally satisfactory in service. For example, the lamp may be swiveled for fog and not put back again correctly. The reason why twin filament lamps were offered by Lucas for Continental use was not, as we originally supposed, to comply with the French and other foreign regulations, but because it is impossible to rotate the dipping reflector so that it dips to the right instead of the left as has been done in the past and is the agreed and accepted method when English cars are taken abroad. This difficulty is the result of using a striated reflector as the ribs must always be vertical. It is now agreed that the complications of changing over to the double filament lamps is too great and Sales will not accept it. In any case it would mean that with the Standard R.R. footswitch both headlamps would be on one fuse. | ||