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).
Suitability of the Goshawk Saloon Body for the 20 HP chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 41\3\ Scan311 | |
| Date | 30th April 1923 | |
| BJ. from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Y5730 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG30.4.23. GOSHAWK SALOON BODY. With reference to your BJ6/H28.4.23 and R3/M26.4.23. Although R.{Sir Henry Royce} does not make it clear in his memo. that it is his intention to use the Saloon body which he suggests designing and having made, he did verbally state that he would like the car fitted with such a body at W.W. We should not expect R.{Sir Henry Royce} to say definitely that in future he would use an enclosed body. We agree it was unfortunate that the body on 7-G-11 was not a standard type. We, nevertheless, consider that the type of body (Saloon) on 7-G-11 is a very desirable one. R.{Sir Henry Royce} is quite in agreement that the body was an excellent type for 20 HP. chassis. The complete car with the body comes within our guaranteed weight specification so that any customer would be quite in order in expecting the chassis to perform satisfactorily with this type of body. We have the impression that the top-heaviness which Mr. Royce attributed to the heavy roof, is very little worse than our standard covered bodies. We are, however, proceeding to take careful tests to find the centre of gravity of this car and compare it with all other standard type bodies. This will enable us to compare all bodies for top-heaviness. Rg.{Mr Rowledge} and myself are certainly of the opinion, that if we were starting again to do the same Journey and had the opportunity of running a 20 HP. car with any type of body we have seen, we should again choose the very much contd:- | ||