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).
Forecasting and comparing the weights of the Silver Wraith chassis and complete car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 109\1\ scan0004 | |
| Date | 10th June 1938 | |
| [Typed] To Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}. from Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} c. By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/AFM.{Anthony F. Martindale} c. Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/JD.{J. Draper - Frames} ------------ [Handwritten] 600 Secret. F.DODD holier File Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FD{Frank Dodd - Bodies} [Typed] Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}5/N.10.6.38. ------------ Re: Silver Wraith Weights. ----------------------- We have made an attempt to forecast the weight of the Silver Wraith chassis and the complete car. Our deductions are set out in the appendix to this memo. The chassis complete would appear to weigh 24 cwts.0.Qrs. 18 lbs. as against the Wraith III, 26 cwts.2.Qrs. 11 lbs. The former would be 2 cwts. 1.Qr. 21.lbs. or 273 lbs. lighter. At the same time we have computed the weight of Hn{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders}'s proposed limousine for Wraith III, (see appendix Part2). With such a body the complete Silver Wraith would weigh 37 cwts. 3.Qrs. 10.lbs. The body weight of 12 cwts. 2 Qrs. is on the assumption that Park Ward build it using the same construction as that used for 26-G-VI. and the other bodies for Wraith Exp. cars in wood and aluminium. Although this will be the largest body it will be by no means the heaviest, as a similar body built by the Classic Coachbuilders with de Ville extension would easily read 14 cwts. For the first car having a Park Ward body of 12 cwts.2 Qrs. and complete car weight of 37 cwts. 3 Qrs. 10 lbs. you will see (appendix Part 3) that the front springs of poundage 950 lbs and 8" deflexion should be satisfactory. For the heaviest car they would appear still to be permissible , but 1000 lbs. springs are available. The rear offers a more serious problem, as we have to cater for 1283 lbs springs for the first car and 1311 lbs. spring for the heaviest car. The difficulty will be in the number of leaves to obtain the load. [Handwritten strikethrough on '1311', handwritten '1339' below 'load.'] Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} | ||