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).
Policy of spreading work among different coachbuilders like Park Wards and Barkers to maintain quality standards.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\1\ scan0329 | |
| Date | 6th November 1934 | |
| ET....from C. c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Lor. EHS. ->Es. CK.{Mr Clark} x 204 C1/06.11.34 Re COACHWORK. I have seen Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}2/GC27.10.34 although for some reason no copy was sent to me. I am very surprised at the attitude you have taken in this memo, and I am afraid you are going right outside your sphere, when you discuss the policy as to whom we shall go to for bodies. This, you must know, never has been any concern of yours, and so far as I know is not likely to be. The decision to spread the work amongst Coachbuilders was taken by Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and myself because: (1) Events have proved that Park Wards had too much work and the quality of it was suffering. (2) Barkers are one of our biggest Retailers and take a number of our chassis - many more than Park Wards - and they had not been receiving their proportion of body orders. I cannot credit that Barkers cannot build as good bodies as Park Ward, and you must know that there are many thousands of Barker bodies on Rolls-Royce chassis on the road which have given every satisfaction over many years. They are still recognised as at least as good as any other leading Coachbuilders. We certainly cannot insult Barkers by giving them a Park Ward shell, or indeed ask Park Ward to supply it. This over-crowding of Park Wards in my opinion has resulted in a falling off in the finish of their work and has led to many complaints and criticisms. They became over-crowded because too many experimental bodies were built by them, the mass orders then having to follow. This is dangerous policy, and we wish our Technical Representative to be in touch with, and advise all our Coachbuilders and not one only. It is an essential of the Company's policy that all owners of our cars should have sound and satisfactory coachwork which embodied our latest knowledge of engineering practice, and not only one firm on whom we concentrate. | ||