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 from Duckham House regarding the performance of a fuel additive called ADCOIDS and seeking approval.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 151\1\ scan0004 | |
| Date | 9th March 1939 | |
| 1282. TELEPHONE No CITY 1308. AD/DET. DUCKHAM HOUSE, 16, CANNON STREET, E.C.4. 9th March, 1939. W.A. Robotham Esq., Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., Derby. Dear Mr. Robotham, Answered 14/3 It happened just before I smashed up my leg, that Mr. Sidgreaves came to a little show I was giving of my coloured cine' films, and we mentioned the tests which you were running on ADCOIDS. Only yesterday I returned to work with a leg which, thank heavens, shows no sign of backlash, and one of the first things I do is to ask you whether you have yet had a report on the French tests which, in September last had, I believe, reached 23,000 miles. It may interest you to know that when I came out of the nursing home I bought a secondhand Rolls so that I could be driven in comfort to the South of France. Petrol consumptions were taken in the first instance without ADCOIDS, and then with, but unfortunately at the time they changed over to ADCOIDS they also decarbonised, and therefore the results are not very convincing. Without ADCOIDS they were 15 miles to the gallon, and with ADCOIDS 18, which seems almost ludicrous on a 20 h.p. which had done only 26,000 miles, so I pass it on to you with reservation. Another point which may interest you, however, is that we continue to receive extraordinarily interesting testimonials from Dick, Tom and Harry, and in this, the fourth year of their being on the market, the sales have doubled themselves as compared with 1937. My anxiety to get Rolls-Royce approval must be my excuse for bothering you. With kind regards. Yours sincerely, A. {Mr Adams} Duckham | ||