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).
Service report detailing a customer visit regarding rusting on a Rolls Bentley and other minor vehicle issues.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 61a\2\ scan0535 | |
| Date | 31th December 1936 | |
| COPY SERVICE REPORT F.H.Bull 31.12.36 1.1.37 Report No.7 WM.GALLAGHER ESQ. WOODVILLE. MALONE PARK. BELFAST. As instructed I proceeded to Belfast and called on Mr. Gallagher, whom I found to be a member of the well-known Tobacco Family, and rather an elderly gentleman, who is now a non-active Director of the concern. The Rolls Bentley referred to in his letter was commissioned in February 1936, having covered 8,000 miles, and as he stated, an appreciable amount of rusting had taken place round the spigot bolt heads and the bridge pieces of the headlamp bodies, which although of no consequence, Mr. Gallagher was anxious should not occur on the new PhantomCodename for PHANTOM I III Model he has on order. I assured him there was no likelihood of this occurring again as the lamps now being supplied, in addition to having an enamelled interior finish, also had all the steel parts cadmium plated, and we would take this opportunity of having the shells changed on the Bentley for those of the latest type. I arranged for our local Branch to send along and fit them on arrival. Mr. Gallagher seemed delighted at the trouble we were taking, and expressed his satisfaction with the general external appearance of the lamps, and also with their illuminating properties. His only other complaint concerned the point that water had got into the Type 1130 Side Lamps. These had, however, been exchanged by Rolls Royce soon after delivery, and are now quite satisfactory. He anticipated any question I might ask with regard to his not expecting a first-class job, by saying that his earlier experience with the Rotax equipment on the '25' Talbot, which he had disposed of when he bought the Bentley, had been unfortunate, mainly because of his inability to keep the battery charged. He had not sought the advice of our Depot, and as far as I could gather this trouble had been the result of using a high performance car for local work and low mileages. He is now using a small car for town work. I told him that his difficulty could have been overcome in a few minutes by increasing the dynamo output to meet his particular requirements. Before leaving Mr. Gallagher I mentioned that in order that he could be convinced of the quality of our equipment we should be delighted to show him over our Works if he could spare the time when next in this country, to which he replied that he would be very pleased to do so. At the same time he insisted that I should look round their own Works. He then introduced me to Mr. Michael, the Managing Director of the Tobacco Company, who remarked that we were 'One of the good old Firms' like themselves, and it was his view that these little difficulties could always be overcome by personal discussion, and in sending across a representative he thought we had done the right thing. | ||