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).
Customer complaint about lamp and wing movement on a Bentley car and potential radiator mounting solutions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90\3\ scan0008 | |
| Date | 20th July 1934 | |
| x7961 To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Re. Mr. Fairey's Car. B.157-AE. Replying to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}20/E19.7.34. We confirm our telephone conversation that you will arrange for Lp.{Mr Lappin} to go out with either Mr. Fairey or Mr. Staniland so that they can actually demonstrate to him the faults. We must question the third paragraph in your memo, because in there you suggest the cars are not being made with the best arrangement of parts. We would like to point out that any standard Bentley car can be converted into the original two-point radiator mounting in a matter of one hour or so's work. We have done this several times. We have actually done it on a customer's car (Mr. R.{Sir Henry Royce} Summer's) to endeavour to overcome a complaint of lamp and wing movement. After he had run the car for one day in this condition he telephoned to us to send someone to put it back in it's original condition. The effect of the two-point radiator mounting is that instead of only the lamps and wings moving the radiator and bonnet goes as well. We realise that there is a considerable variation in cars as regards the amount of lamp and wing movement - as chassis they all behave in exactly the same manner. We have been working on this problem because we have realised it is one of the chief criticisms of the Bentley car. We cannot believe after reading Mr. Fairey's letter that his serious complaint is the lamp movement. With an extra cross member at the front of the frame we consider we can make a 30 to 40% improvement. We have not a cross member available at present which will fit on to Mr. Fairey's car, the only one which has been tested has been an experimental mock up. We have one instructed which we hope shortly to get on to an experimental car. If this is successful we see no reason why we should not fit it to Mr. Fairey's car and will arrange to do this. If you still have any doubt that the centrally mounted radiator is worse than the two point mounted radiator it would be very simple for En. to get a car modified in London. We claim as soon as it is arranged with the two point mounting the radiator moves as well as the lamps and wings, and over a bad road this causes distressing knocks from the bonnet movement. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||