Rolls-Royce Archives
         « Prev  Box Series  Next »        

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).
Design factors and feasibility for the Bentley Body Project, comparing it with the Wraith model.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 111\1\  scan0115
Date  14th July 1938
  
804

~~BY~~
C. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}

BENTLEY BODY PROJECT.

In studying the Bentley 50 body project, certain factors have come to the front, having pressed themselves upon me, which have modified the ideas one previously had in this direction.

The points in question are as follows :-

(a). A Bentley 50 was increased in dimensions deliberately to produce a much larger body i.e. one with greater accommodation than could possibly be considered for the Bentley 111.
This was the result of a discussion which took place on certain points you yourself advocated viz. that the body must be impressive and have at least the dimensions of the Humber Snipe; views which we completely concurred in, but which modified our original project entirely.

(b). The body for the Wraith as being used is actually 2" higher than that outlined in paragraph (a) for Bentley 50.
In addition, the Rolls-Royce radiator and bonnet makes the front a completely different pressing, from/which would be required for Bentley 50, /that even if the heights were similar.
The Wraith chassis is also 3" longer on the wheelbase, which again militates against the possibility of Bentley 50 dies being used for Wraith bodies.

This means that it is not a rational proposal to try and work in Bentley 50 with a body suitable for the Wraith in its later development.

(c). One other point which arises is that in the more expensive type of car, the four-light body appears from statistics to be much more popular than the six-light, the reason apparently being that the six-light puts the head of the passenger into a frame when the car is looked at sideways, exposing him too much to the public gaze, with no compensating gain, as it is not comfortable when riding in a car to look out sideways due to the speed of translation, it being always necessary to look forward at an angle in order to see objects as one faces along the road.

It appears to me therefore that the four-light body is
  
  


Copyright Sustain 2025, All Rights Reserved.    whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙