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).
Clutch plate pricing negotiations and supplier performance issues with Borg & Beck.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 129\1\ scan0228 | |
| Date | 14th July 1937 | |
| -2- Price B. & B. have not quoted for a completely tool made job, but we have asked them to bring a price on Friday. Their price for 100 hand made plates was originally £4.8.6, since reduced to £3.5.0. We consider that the price should be no more than £2.0.0. Attached is a note from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} giving an analysis of the price. The price quoted by the American Long Company for their 13½" plate (basically similar to ours) is £1.9.6 delivered in England, plus 1500 dollars for tools. Deducting the import duty (7/6d) and adding the estimated difference between a hand and tool made centre plate (15/-), we get a figure of £1.17.0, which agrees closely with our estimated cost. RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} says he could easily make the plates. We recommend that unless B. & B. reduce their price for the first 100 we should get their agreement to our making the plates, paying them a royalty, until B. & B. are tooled up for quantity production. General. We have been very disappointed with Borg & Beck; their workmanship has been terrible, and we have had no assistance of value on any of our problems. We have even had to get their own clutch right for them. Moreover, we have not been kept up to date with developments in the States. The hairspring pedal servo and thermoid facings were discovered by Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} in America, Borg and Beck in England knew nothing of them. We cannot afford to stop dealing with them at the moment however, because :- 1. we have not a clutch of our own suitable for Bentley and 25/30, 2. we do not know of a centre plate which gives such good results as the compound cushion type. | ||