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 Ethyl Export Corporation regarding the testing of Esso Ethyl fuel and its anti-knock properties.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 150\1\ scan0008 | |
| Date | 11th April 1935 | |
| CABLEGRAMS: ETHYLPORT, LONDON. TELEGRAMS: ETHYLPORT, CHURTON. 4282 ETHYL EXPORT CORPORATION Incorporated in the State of Delaware, U.S.A. with limited liability. ABFORD HOUSE, VICTORIA LONDON, S.W.1 Telephone: VICTORIA 5520 Head Office: 135 EAST 42nd STREET NEW YORK, U.S.A 11th April, 1935. W. A.{Mr Adams} Robotham Esq., Experimental Dept., Rolls-Royce Ltd., Nightingale Road, DERBY. Dear Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, We arrived at Brooklands safely yesterday after a somewhat rough trip. I am exceedingly grateful to you for your kindness to me while I was in Derby and Lucke, our pilot, is also grateful to you for getting him a look round your works. We saw Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} and Ellor at Brooklands when we arrived. With reference to your remarks to me regarding a suitable fuel for the standard Bentley, I should strongly recommend that you carry out your suggestion and let W.O. try out Esso Ethyl, in his car. By the time such a test has been completed, all the other Ethyls on the market will have an anti-knock value of about 80 Octane C.F.R. Motor Method and you will be quite sure of obtaining this generally throughout the British Isles. I should be glad if you would keep this figure to yourself, but I think you will be able to determine, by practical test, whether or not the improvement in anti-knock value above the other fuels on the market, is substantial. It is intended that all the Ethyls shall be at least 8 Octane numbers higher than the normal No.1's sold to-day. I am writing to the States regarding "hot spots" and will let you have their reply as soon as it comes to hand. Again, very many thanks, Yours sincerely, F.R. Banks FRB/WNT P.S. With reference to the second paragraph, if you decide at a future date, to approve Ethyl, it will not be necessary to mention any particular brand because they will all be almost similar and all that is necessary is to say is, that "Ethyl" petrols are approved for use etc.... FRB | ||