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).
Letter concerning the Paulin Streamline Bentley car, its design, coachbuilders, cost, and arrangements for inspection.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 161\1\ scan0142 | |
| Date | 22th July 1938 | |
| To: BENTLEY MOTORS (1931) Ld, "Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}" ............LONDON. PARIS Sr21/Dn22.7.38 re Paulin Streamline BENTLEY Car. --------- With reference to your Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}7/E20.7.38, it is a great pleasure for me to note that, from a general point of view, you consider the streamlined Bentley car interesting, and I can assure you that the results obtained were only achieved at the expense of considerable effort. Unfortunately, I have no side view photograph of this car, but only a set of technical photographs taken in our workshops before the car was put on the road. I am, therefore enclosing these, and feel sure they will enable you to judge to what extent the job was a thorough one, and "Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}" will be able to supply you with the photographs you require, as I know he took several on the Montlhéry track. On the other hand we will take some more photographs of this car, as soon as we can get hold of it again. As regards the price of a repeat body order, this would amount to roughly ...................£420.- at the present rate of exchange, although the present body only cost ......................£320.- but it would not be possible to repeat the order at the latter figure. Finally, we expect to obtain possession of this car (B-27-LE) and be able to keep it for over a month, as and from the 1st August. At this moment arrangements could be made for the car to go over to England, so that you could inspect it. With regard to the designation of this car, it was called the Paulin Bentley because Monsieur Paulin is the "Aero-dynamic Engineer" (if such a title exists) who designed the body, and remained at the Coachbuilders until the coachwork was completed. The coachbuilders who built this body are known by the name of POURTOUT, and the only reason why the body was built there, was because Monsieur Paulin lives almost next door to them, and as he only left the coachbuilders to go to bed, it was more convenient for him. In agreement with the latter, however, a repeat body order would be executed by Vanvooren. Sr. 1 Set of Photographs. | ||