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).
Reduction of cost for the Bentley III dashboard by switching materials.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 132\3\ scan0165 | |
| Date | 26th November 1937 | |
| To By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to RMC. c. to Ss.{S. Smith} c. to Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} c. to HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} c. to AM/Ps. Handwritten: 2006, -1260., 1125, 426 RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Les.6/JE.26.11.37. REDUCTION OF COST OF BENTLEY III DASHBOARD. Having discovered that Bentley dashboard casting costs £5. we have been investigating the possibility of using a Nickel plated pressed steel dashboard. Our present cast dash is very stiff and is used to support side spare wheel carriers and the steering column. With Bentley III frame which is 10 times as stiff torsionally compared to Bentley II the dash will not be needed for spare wheel carrier supports. This means that provided the column can be supported from the body scuttle the dash need have no stiffness. Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} has discussed with Park Ward's the question of supporting the column from the body and no difficulties have been raised. Mulliners confirm Park Ward's statement and say that there is only one chassis besides our chassis which is supplied with a cast dash and that is the straight eight Daimler. They say there would be no difficulty if we supplied a chassis with a pressed steel dash and a temporary column support, before the column was attached to the body. In this way we consider that a satisfactory dull nickel plated pressed steel dash having a superior appearance to our cast aluminium dash can be used, with a saving in cost of £3. per chassis. For the cost of £6 we are having a hand made sample sheet metal dash produced for the first Bentley III. We are therefore holding up the pattern for the cast dash which is estimated to cost £99. RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Les.{Ivan A. Leslie} | ||