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).
The strategy and timeline for initiating in-house body production, with specific reference to Bentley models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 148\5\ scan0249 | |
| Date | 13th December 1937 | |
| -4- that "Within the past two years the interests of "body designers and producers of large pressings "have run parallel ..... It is becoming common "practice to produce roofs, front ends, rear "panels and side pressings in one piece, thereby "eliminating many welding, trimming, finishing "or filling and other expensive hand operations." It should be borne in mind that about 12 months must elapse between the decision to make bodies and the production of the necessary dies. However, the important decision is not so much "what is the desirable type of body construction?" as "are we aiming at making our own bodies and if so when?" - ! SUMMARY. For two years the Works and Technical staff will be fully occupied rationalising chassis production. We believe at the end of that period we shall be in a position to start on body production. If our expectations are realised then twelve months from now someone has got to be thinking about body dies, as these will take nine months to produce. By this time the public's reaction to Bentley 50 bodies will have been gauged. This is why we want to retain some measure of interchangeability on Bentley 50 bodies. We think that it is wrong to have exactly the same technical machinery for dealing with our modest programme of Bentley 50 quantity produced bodies as was used to evolve Sir Henry's one off motor-cars. At the moment Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} is supposed to be doing frames, front suspension, dashboards and brake lay out with bodies as a side line. Actually, of course, he has done nothing but coachwork for some time. EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} ! | ||