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 discussing the need for long bonnets on various chassis series and other points for an upcoming meeting in Derby.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 30\2\ Scan022 | |
| Date | 22th March 1932 | |
| S/W. ( c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Sn.{Mr Sanderson}) X2924 RECEIVED 1932 MAR 22 Ox1/KW22.3.32. I hope, as already notified you, to come to Derby tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss with certain officials, without necessarily taking up your time, certain important points in connection with Phantom II's and 25's. If I outline to you briefly the points for discussion maybe you could notify those concerned whom you would wish me to speak to, and ask possibly Sn{Mr Sanderson} to have a list of the people concerned so that I could get in touch with them through him. (1) To confirm with you that you can give us long bonnets on the last 12 chassis of the first half of N2 series - chassis 89-100 inclusive. These bonnets to be of a similar type to those which you propose to introduce as standard on the 101st in N2. We should, I know, have an immense amount of difficulty with these 12 chassis with the short bonnet as they would be regarded as a different type to the succeeding ones, and it would, I am convinced, be much less costly to specially make the new type bonnets for these 12 chassis than to send them through with the short bonnets and have everyone who gets them regard them as out-of-date chassis. (2) A similar point arises in connection with the last 20 chassis in "T" series. Here again I am convinced that it is absolutely essential that we should have long bonnets - that is bonnets of the same length that are being introduced with "U" series - on these last 20 chassis of "T" series; in fact we have already had refusals from Coachbuilder Agents to accept chassis already allotted to them unless they have the new long bonnet which they understand (how I don't know) we are shortly introducing. Here again I am sure it would be less costly to make these 20 bonnets than to have the value of the chassis written down because they are out-of-date. It would be best, I am sure, to have the rivetless type bonnet such as will be standardised on "U" series, although we probably could, if it would help you, accept longer bonnets of the riveted standard type but they would have to be as long as the new type bonnet coming in on "U" series. (3) I would be glad to learn whilst at Derby the result of your investigations about the man who had tried the more recent 25 and spread reports about its having a new type gearbox and doing 85 m.p.h. (4) I would like to have an opportunity of seeing Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} with regard to (contd) | ||