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).
Letter to coachbuilder Barker & Co. Ltd. outlining disagreements on a sports car body design.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 71\1\ scan0362 | |
| Date | 1st December 1927 | |
| ORIGINAL X8830 Copy to - HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} "CAMACHAHenry Royce's office in West Wittering" WEST WITTERINGHenry Royce's home town. CHICHESTER. 1st. Dec. 1927. Messrs Barker & Co. Ltd. ATTENTION OF Mr. MUNRO. Dear Sirs, SPORTS/BODY. This is to confirm that the writer has now approved of your design of the above body, and agrees to your going ahead with the manufacture. The following features were not according to his wishes and we wish to place on record our disagreement with them, so that we may not be held responsible in the event of any failures. (1) We do not like the dog legged pillars at the rear supports, and would like them to be vertical as in our scheme. They have the important duty of preventing the rear door shut pillars from spreading, and can only do this well if they are straight; as suggested by yourselves we feel the pillars will need to be heavily ironed, which is a feature we wish to avoid in view of the great importance of weight saving on this job. (2) We do not think the screen fixing which you propose, (the boss welded to the plate) will be satisfactory, and suggest that we might do well to get back somewhere near our original suggestion. The boss if used at all must be held to the plate by something better than acetylene welding. (3) We feel very strongly that much weight will have to be saved on the front and rear screens if the body is to come anywhere near the 5 cwt. limit. Since we have not been able so far to see your proposals for the design of these screens, we suggest that you make layouts so that the writer is able to go into them with you when he is next at your Works, possibly in about 10 days time. We wish to use ¼" Triplex for the front screen, and 3/16" for the rear. (4) We note that you are adhering to our original proposal concerning the hood, and understand that you are satisfied that the method of manipulation is possible, and not a feature which will be adversely commented on. We would be pleased if you would refer to our N. sch. 2515. of which we left you a print, for our suggestions on details of the screens, hood, and body in general. (1) [STAMP: RECEIVED DEC 2 1927 H.S.] | ||