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).
Translated letter of complaint from a Bentley owner regarding repeated ventilator breakage.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\3\ scan0227 | |
| Date | 28th October 1936 | |
| n245 STEADMAN This is serious. Please get service records & discuss. 75, Strada di Fenestrelle TURIN Tel. 21.11.30 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} CHASSIS B-196-DG TRANSLATION OF LETTER RECEIVED FROM Mr. DAUBREE DATED 28TH. OCTOBER 1936 WHea 4/588 Dear Sirs, My Bentley has just returned from Nice and I thank you for the speed with which the work on my car has been carried out. I cannot however let pass without comment this second trouble without expressing to you my great disillusion. In my opinion nothing is more disagreeable than a car on which it is impossible to rely or have confidence in. The car which holds you up on the road despite the fact that when new it was a brilliant and agreeable car, is a car you must beware of and in the end when one generally prefers a car which is not so smart looking but at least reliable. In turn, I must say I am also astonished at the "astonishment" you expressed on the telephone when learning of this second ventilator breakage, as well as the astonishment expressed by Mr. De Boeck to my chauffeur. Unless I am mistaken Mr. Jacques Hauvette, my cousin, was also victim of the same trouble and I suppose that if you asked me in April to come to Nice to change my ventilator which up to then had given no trouble, it was merely because you had already had similar experiences. I would like to point out again that I am very keen on having a reliable car especially as not only do I never exceed the maximum fixed by the manufacturer but in addition I always remain below that speed. Consequently my car never exceeds 4200 revs. except in Paris when a tester pushes it to 100 kms in second which should correspond to about 4500 revs. on top. On the contrary I happened to do on the eve of the last breakage 220 kms on the autostrade in 1 h.49 minutes or an average of 121 kms. The average is normal, and much below the maximum indicated by you. But it is an average maintained during 1 hour 49 minutes! Have you made any test of this sort? You now have the parts in your possession and I should like to have your honest opinion. I know what is a metal part and the troubles it may bring about. I would only like to be certain that in future you will remedy the trouble in one way or another. Yours. Sgd.H.Daubrée PS- I would like to point out that the first breakage in April occurred in exactly the same manner i.e. the next day after such a run on the Autostrade when returning from our factory in Trieste I am unable to account for it, of course. | ||