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).
Methods to camouflage the experimental Goshawk model and differentiate it from the 40/50.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 41\3\ Scan058 | |
| Date | 15th December 1921 | |
| S/W Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X3730 RE GOSHAWK. C6/C15.12.21. X.3730 Hsl/LG13.12.21 & Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG1312.21. X.4219 X.4240 On this question of camouflage there are really two points - 1. The total disguising of the experimental Goshawk until it is on the market - and 2. What differences there are to be in our eventual production between the Goshawk and the 40/50 so far as appearance is concerned. What we are now talking about is point 2, and what we want to do is to make the Goshawk easily recognisable as a R-R but to have certain small differences that may be readily recog- nised by the Public as being the difference between the Goshawk and the 40/50. At the last Sales Conference various ways of bringing this about without destroying the R-R lines were discussed, and one suggestion was that the Goshawk should have some peculiar type of radiator cap, which is a very noticeable point, another that the nameplate in front, instead of having R-R should have some- thing else inscribed, such as the words Rolls-Royce, or the letters spread down the plate underneath each other in two columns. But of course it is very difficult to visualise the effect of this without seeing it, and we thought we might try on one of the dummies various small devices of this sort and see what the effect will be. There may be one or two suggestions of this sort that you can think of - just small items that are different, but which do not destroy the Rolls-Royce appearance. As regards point No.1, you were going to put on a different type of radiator and leave the name off the hub-caps etc. We thought, in addition to this, that it would be as well to put some fictitious name on the hubcap, such as "G.H." or any thing else you like. The object is to avoid the Goshawk experiment cars becoming "mystery" cars and thus encourage the inquisitive person to make it his business to find out all about them. We therefore suggest that both the radiators and hubcaps of these experimental cars are stamped with something of this nature. With regard to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG13.2.21, concerning the bodies for the Goshawk we can and will arrange for the Mulliner open body to br sent to Derby when ready, complete with mudguards, running boards, etc. As regards the c vered bodies, we note you will advise us when the chassis becomes available, and we can then decide contd; | ||