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 addressing customer complaints about overdrive, steering, body, and radiator shutters.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\4\ scan0385 | |
| Date | 16th December 1938 | |
| 261 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls}6/MH.{M. Huckerby} 16th. December 1938. P.W.Paddon, Esq., Messrs. Paddon Brothers Ltd., 60, Cheval Place, Brompton Road, LONDON, W.S.W.7. Dear Mr. Paddon, Many thanks for your letter of the 5th. December, which I have just got on my return from a trip on the Continent. Your letter shows that you did not drive sufficiently far the car which Bleaney lent you. Various people we know ofwho have driven the overdrive car about 100 miles have neither liked the overdrive nor the handling. We have persuaded them to try the car over about 600 miles and after this, when they get back on their own car they immediately ring up the Service Station to say that the engine is very rough and the car wanders all over the road. Others who have had the new steering characteristics, and who originally complained, have refused at any price to go back to the old arrangement when we later suggested doing so. I hope this answers the part of your letter dealing with the overdrive and Steering. As regards your complaints about the body, we should be delighted if you would send a copy of them to Park Wards. As to the radiator shutters, for your own private information they do not rattle. We send every car out of the Works filled with Anti-freeze mixture, the fixed shutters have a reduced bonnet temperature which is all to the good. 20 million American cars with no shutters have phenomenally good cylinder bore wear - we expect to be likewise. Kind regards, Yours sincerely, | ||