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).
Internal correspondence regarding customer complaints and potential fixes for Mr. Fairey's Bentley, car B-157-AE.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90\3\ scan0009 | |
| Date | 25th July 1934 | |
| X7961 To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}15/KW.25.7.34. Mr. Fairey's Car - B-157-AE. Further to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/MJ.20.7.34. We have now had an opportunity of trying this car. We should consider that B-157-AE is in no way an exceptionally bad example of a Bentley. We have tried customers' cars in which the wing movement has been considerably worse and on which the clutches were no better. When we received the car the rear tyre pressures were on the low side, and this did not improve the selectivity of the steering. When the tyre pressures were raised the car was not abnormal in any way. We do not agree that there is any excessive slack in the transmission, the noise on the take-up is common to all Bentleys and is due to the synchromesh parts rattling. A cure is fitted to 4-B-IV running 10,000 miles, which we hope to standardise when available. We think that Mr. Fairey's letter to Lp.{Mr Lappin} of the 18th July is in no way a reasonable statement of fact. We are raising the loads on the rear shock absorbers, which is an alteration we are prepared to do to any customer's car while remote control damping is still not available. The Repair Dept. are also examining the clutch to ensure that it is the best they can do. Apart from this there is nothing we can recommend that has been standardised. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||