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).
Headlamp and wing movement on Bentley cars, including supplier issues and safety concerns regarding bumper mounting.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 82\4\ scan0057 | |
| Date | 5th December 1934 | |
| x4053 To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Copy to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}C. R.RV.Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}En.Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} Headlamp & Wing Movement on the Bentley. Referring to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/MJ.1.12.34 I have noted with interest all you say and should like to leave the question of standardisation open for discussion at our next meeting at Derby. In any case I do not think this will cause any delay because I gather that the Wilmot people are unable to supply at the moment as, when we tried to order one for a customer's car, they were not clear as to exactly what was required, and Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} is now in communication with Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} on this subject. The one I tried on Fairey's car was also in con-junction with the front KE cross member so that, as soon as the model is available, i.e. the one referred to in Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}'s note to Hn{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders}, I should like to have it sent up to London so that we can try it on our Trials car and see the effect with and without. I might add that we all feel that it is very regrettable that we should have to adopt an expedient of this description to overcome a fault and, when we discuss it at Derby, I should like to have an assurance that the Design Dept. thoroughly approve. The one sent up for trial on the 20/25 weighs some 68 lbs. and is I understand held on by two studs or bolts, and here again I should like to be assured by the Design Dept. that they consider this safe, bearing in mind that, if one stud broke and the bumper fell down, it would probably result in a fatal accident if the car were travelling at anything other than slow speed. With regard to the 6th paragraph I do not quite understand the reference to radiator movement as this point was never raised. We were talking of lamp and wing movement. I note you say in the last part that the front end movement on the Bentley and the breaking up of bodies is by far the worst complaint on the Bentley cars. I think we want to be quite clear as to what we are talking about when we say 'front end movement'. If we are talking about movement of the lamps and wings and the complaint of this feature, then I can assure | ||