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).
Outlining the proposal and rationale for creating the high-speed '10-EX Sports Model'.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\Q\April1927-June1927\ 45 | |
| Date | 29th April 1927 | |
| TO B.I. FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} C. to WCR. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} LHS.{Lord Herbert Scott} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} CY. ORIGINAL R14/M29.4.27. X469 10-EX. SPORTS MODEL. X8774 X8770 X255 We do not propose to make this coarse (as in the case of other sports cars) or one that will not run in traffic on top gear, otherwise we should simply have no special features or merits. It will be necessary however when used for high speeds to have the Hartford shock dampers tightened up, in addition to the hydraulic ones which will always be in action. The object of preparing this chassis is that if "speed merchants" in the form of English peers, Indian Rajahs, and others, doubt the speed capacity of the RR. Phantom, this specimen, which we should be able to repeat, can be tried by them. We want to bear in mind that we have not thought of making a freak machine, or that we expect to sell any number of them, or depart from our smooth and silent model, but we think the owners of the smooth and silent model, with their large bodies capable of a true 80 MPH. will be pleased to know that the same chassis and engine, when fitted up as an open touring car, is capable of 95 to 100 MPH. We believe the presence of a smart car of this type would increase the sale of our ordinary cars, and be well worth its cost. At the same time it will tell us in what way to develop perfect action for the more moderate users. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||