Letter from the American branch to Derby explaining the reasons for using a single ignition switch.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 31\2\ Scan058 | |
| Date | 20th February 1923 | |
| V {VIENNA} /1413 ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. PERSONAL Oy2-W-22023 February 20, 1923. Mr. E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives, Rolls-Royce, Limited, Derby, England. Dear Hives: Ignition Switch Yours of January 31. Re controlling both ignitions on one switch, we used this for three reasons. 1. Complaints from owners of poor slow-running due to their running on magneto only with post-war cars, as was the practice on pre-war cars. 2. Demagnetising of magnetos by running on battery only, due to inadvertence, or sheer foolishness. Running magnetos continually grounded appears to demagnetise them fairly quickly. 3. To get the Klaxon button on top of the steering column. When we first used Bijur outfit and the Delco switch, we retained the knurled button and switch on the steering column. The two switches seemed to worry people a little. We would not have minded that, but the above three complaints made the change necessary. Since switching both ignitions together, our ignition service troubles have dropped out of sight. One can readily test the ignitions separately by switching on and earthing the magneto with a screwdriver, and then switching off and removing the screwdriver (grounding cable having been disconnected) so testing battery and magneto. I don't suppose any chauffeur does this, but our service stations do. I am going to tempt you to call me a liar again by saying that we do not have any ignition trouble. | ||
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).