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 Alexander Duckham regarding the performance of his ADCOIDS additive in an engine test.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 151\1\ scan0015 | |
| Date | 4th May 1939 | |
| Copy of letter from Mr. Alexander Duckham. ------------------------- Duckham House, 16, Cannon Street, E.C. 4. 4th May, 1939. AD/DET. A. {Mr Adams} F. {Mr Friese} Sidgreaves, Esq., Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., 14 & 15, Conduit Street, W.1. Dear Sidgreaves, I hate to bother you, but I know that you will not deprecate zeal. I understand that your Mr. Robotham tried ADCOIDS at Derby and that at 10,000 miles was sufficiently impressed by the engine to instruct your Paris house to carry out tests until the engine ran, as your people so delightfully expressed it, "rough". On our first enquiry we were informed that the engine had done 22,000 miles, and that Mr. Sleator was very pleased with it. We asked when he intended to open up and he said - "Not until the engine runs "rough". Now, at 31,000 miles, your people are good enough to tell us that the car has been sold, and up to the time of the sale it had not run "rough", but they are hoping that the purchaser will continue to use ADCOIDS and carry on the test, which, of course, is not very welcome news to me. ADCOIDS are of my conception, and are the best baby that I have ever produced. To crown their success I want of all things Rolls Royce recommendation. Heaven forbid that I should butt in, or upset any of your technical people because they have all been delightful, but may it not be that there is other evidence available among them or their friends who own Rolls Royce and Bentley cars? My own experience, for what it is worth, is that the engine runs even slightly sweeter, especially at high speeds. This is probably a matter of valve stem lubrication. My reduction in petrol consumption more than pays for the ADCOIDS, and somehow or other I do appear to make a very good showing against any other Bentleys I come across. I believe even your own people at Kingsbury have commented favourably on her performance. Excuse my importunity. With kind regards. Yours sincerely, (Sgd.) A. {Mr Adams} Duckham. Sleator notices the apparently infinite postponement of pinking. A.D. | ||