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 detailing ongoing issues and complaints regarding faulty Exide batteries, specifically plate buckling, in chassis 79-PE and other cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 46\3\ Scan032 | |
| Date | 10th November 1921 | |
| RE. EXIDE BATTERIES. CHASSIS 79-PE. Ps4/JP10.11.21. [STAMP: RECEIVED NOV 25 with clock face] We have recently had cases of mysterious buckling of the plates in batteries. One of our customers, Madame Catel-Beghin, owner of chassis 79-PE, sent us a battery on which we had expert opinion by the Equipment Electrique in Paris. Their report is attached hereto, and which we do not doubt for a moment will need translating in order that you may thoroughly understand what was the matter with the battery. We have had quite a lot of trouble with the Exide Batteries, but put this down to careless handling on the part of the clients, who after a certain amount of difficulty paid for the repairs, but since reading your instruction on this subject, which we have recently received, referring to a Conference held at the Works between youselves and the Exide's representative, we have come to the conclusion that the Exide batteries are faulty. We some time ago sent you over a battery made by a French Firm to our requirements, as a test battery; this battery costs exactly one third the price of an Exide Battery delivered Paris, and you turned it down because it was not Exide. We, at that time, ordered a dozen of these batteries to be made, after trying one for a considerable time with good results, and we can safely say that the batteries which we had made in France are giving no trouble whatsoever and are costing one third of Exide Batteries. Exide batteries are not giving satisfaction. We had the visit of an English driver who had been to Biarritz recently, and he said nearly all the drivers of Rolls-Royce cars at Biarritz were in trouble with their batteries. We have before us invoices from our Battery repairers, amounting to Fr.1545 - for the repair of eleven batteries during the month of October. We insist of course on the faulty pieces being returned and we have just ascertained that in Stores we have a little "hill" of damaged elements. We should now like to have a reply to the following two questions:- | ||