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).
Customer complaints about the Phantom model, comparing it unfavourably with the Silver Ghost, and outlining points to resolve.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan390 | |
| Date | 21th December 1926 | |
| Handwritten: Have written c.thu a memo just m'ailed for an X417 cost report you will have a copy To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from BJ. Copy to R.{Sir Henry Royce} Copy to Rg.{Mr Rowledge} Copy to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Copy to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Phantom Complaints. STAMP: RECEIVED DEC 21 1926 With reference to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}2/LG16/11/26, there is no doubt that much of the adverse criticism of the Phantom is based on features - cures for some of which have been found and which will not occur in future chassis. Other defects still exist but cures are being discovered and experimented with - such as banging in the exhaust. I think misapprehension often arises when London officials state that some customers complain that Phantoms have defects that did not exist on the Silver Ghost. Derby often replies to such statements that (for instance) Ghosts fitted with F.W.B. and autovacs suffered from exactly similar complaints, and therefore were no better than Phantoms. But the customers, who make the comparisons, are mostly old Silver Ghost owners who say they never suffered from hard springing, joggles on the steering wheel, difficult steering, jumpiness of engine at low speed and loud bangs in the exhaust. Those are the difficult people to convince that in the Phantom they have such a perfect car as they had in the Ghost, and those people will talk to their friends and spread these rumours. It will be helpful if the Technical officials concerned at Derby - (say, Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}, BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer}, Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}, EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} and Hm.{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs}) can meet as soon as possible, with a list of all defective or complaint items before them, and decide definitely:- (a). If a definite cure has been discovered and proved. (b). How many chassis have been issued containing the defect. (c). How many chassis will yet be issued to S. containing the defect, and the cost per chassis to put it right first. (d). What the cure consists of on chassis already issued and cost of cure. (e). Are there 2 alternative cures, (such as in the steering), one cheap and one expensive; if so, is it considered advisable to try the cheap cure first? (f). What is the cost per car? | ||