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).
Monthly report discussing customer complaints and the policy of delivering cars with known faults like piston knocks and brake squeaks.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\3\ Scan044 | |
| Date | 10th April 1931 | |
| HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} 8417 RECEIVED 11 MAY 1931 To Wsr, from Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} re Customers' Complaints, Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}12/B10.4.31 Copy to Mr Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Monthly Report. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Ds. Br.{T. E. Bellringer - Repair Manager} Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy} EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} Mr. Referring to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/GWA.1/ET.8.4.31 I am naturally pleased to see that all these complaints are still being vigorously pursued with a view to cures being found. I am, however, distressed to see that the writer of the memo. should infer that it is the policy of the Company to deliver cars with known faults. I think that he probably is not aware of the true position and I would be glad if you would see him and make the matter clear. You will remember that the sole reason for his being particularly placed by you on this job was with a view to endeavouring to deal with these complaints as quickly as possible because we knew that cars were going out with features which we knew would give trouble but for which no cure existed, and the main point was to find cures. Dealing with the points enumerated in the first paragraph of his memo, the position so far as I am aware is as follows: Piston Knocks. The last quarterly Complaint report does not indicate that this is a serious item. The total number of complaints was 6 in 6 months. He suggests extra oil should be adopted in some form. My recollection of this question of extra oil is that it was introduced on the American chassis not because any of the RR.Ltd. designers or officials considered it necessary or desirable but because the technical officials of BRAI insisted on it. Brake Squeaks. The position here is that as long ago as the 1st September 1930 I asked R.{Sir Henry Royce} whether we could not adopt what was known as the Hancock device - at any rate as a temporary measure on production until such time as we had something as good or better. He, however, definitely disapproved of this idea which accounts for it not being on production in the ordinary way. | ||