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).
Internal memorandum addressing several customer complaints regarding Bentley vehicles, including issues with gear levers, brakes, and bodywork.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 130\1\ scan0165 | |
| Date | 8th November 1934 | |
| Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c to EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c to Mx.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} x417 Hd{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy}19/HR.8.11.34. re BENTLEY QUARTERLY COMPLAINTS. Replying to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rml/KW.8.11.34., we quite agree that the main object of the Quarterly Complaints Lists is to draw the attention of the Design and Experimental Departments to the features which are causing the most annoyance to customers. Any complaint made by an owner either to us or to any of our Depots, is recorded, and we then pick out what we consider are serious matters requiring alteration to design etc. We are surprised that Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} says that the rattle from the gear lever appears to be only a very minor source of annoyance to customers, because even though we only record one actual complaint this quarter, we definitely point out in our remarks against this item that it requires investigation by the Experimental Department, and further, on the 4th ult., we sent you memo C21/C.3.10.34. asking if there is any solution of the difficulty, and in your reply Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Eml7/KW.8.10.34., you stated that you had no cure and that we knew as much about it as you did. Dealing now with front wing and lamp movement, we cannot understand your statement that 50% of Bentley Owners complain of this, as we ourselves have received remarkably few actual complaints. Furthermore, we have discussed the matter with you verbally on several occasions and you have told us that you have no cure, but that you are working on the problem. Referring to the 54 complaints of brakes - of the 38 complaints during the last quarter 29 were reported by Kingsbury. Our experience is that many complaints of thumping can be cured by tightening the swinging arm of the servo or re-bedding the brake liners, and this, of course, is well known to you. We should also like to say that jagging of the front brakes has already been taken up with you and BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer}, and in BY4/G.2.7.34 we were informed that the Experimental Department considered that the essential matter is for them to find a brake material which will cut out jagging. -contd- | ||