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).
Report from the Delhi service depot on the market preference for magneto ignition over battery ignition in India.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 37\1\ scan 123 | |
| Date | 15th September 1921 | |
| X 3199 ROLLS-ROYCE LTD SERVICE DEPÔT KASHMIRI GATE DELHI. LK{L. King}10/B15.9.21. X 3199 H.S. DERBY. With reference to your memo HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LG8.8.21. I have pleasure in giving you the following facts on battery ignition in this country. (1) There is still a great prejudice against cars fitted with battery ignition only. (2) Many a car has been sold out in this country by fitting a Magneto ignition as well as the original battery ignition as people were quite willing to pay the extra amount for the Magneto and would not buy a car with battery ignition only. (3) I have known in a great many cases where owners of Hudson and other American cars have been willing to pay a very high price to have a Magneto fitted. (4) The ordinary Indian driver is very often careless and neglectful, suppose for instance, a car fitted with battery ignition is running satisfactory he seldom if even thinks of looking at his battery for three or four months at a stretch and when the battery is at last examined it is often found to be very short of acid and the terminals corroded up. which sometimes necessitates a new battery, the owner eventually gets tired of buying new batteries and sells his car and buys one fitted with magneto ignition. (5) I notice that several American firms are also now fitting magneto ignition as well as the battery ignition. (6) A car owner in India often spends five to six months in the year up in the hills where he has no use for a car, and where the roads are not suitable for motor traffic. his car is left with a so called firm in the plains, the battery more often than not, is never examined during the six months that the owner is away, when he returns to the plains a new battery has to be purchased. (7) Ruling Princes may often have a fleet of about 30 cars one particular car may be used only once or twice a year, the | ||