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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).
Customer complaint regarding the petrol consumption of a 25 HP car, chassis No. GWE-43.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 102\1\  scan0226
Date  15th November 1934
  
COPY

N-S....C.

Re Technical - Petrol Consumption o 25 h.p.Cars.

With reference to your C9/C14.11.34 chassis No. GWE-43 was brought in to us on Monday. The owner had taken delivery from Park Wards on the previous Friday and had run it over the weekend. He complained that he had used 8 gallons of petrol in a run of 95 miles.

We checked the carburettor and everything else which controlled the petrol consumption and then took a consumption test. The result was 14 1/2 m.p.g. We then got hold of Mr.Archer from Derby and he carefully examined the carburettor, but cound find nothing wrong with it, and next morning we took a further consumption test accompanied by thechauffeur, and the result was 15.4 m.p.g. For this test the car was driven at the most economical speed (30-35 m.p.h).

We reported this result to the owner, but he was not at all satisfied. He stated that his previous 25 h.p. car which was 18 months old, had always given him a result of 18-20 m.p.g. and he had been assured by our Showrooms that the new car would be just as economical.

I explained the many virtues of the new carburettor over the old one, and pointed out that with a small sacrifice of petrol consumption, we had been able to introduce far better acceleration and greater maximum speed. Mr. McKean said he was not at all interested in these two virtues as he simply required the car to cruise around Ireland. I finished up with him by saying that I was quite certain the petrol consumption would improve as the engine became freer, and in the meantime, if we did devise anything which would serve the purpose of improving petrol consumption at a slight sacrifice of acceleration, we would let him have the benefit of it. With this promise he was contented to take the car away to Ireland.

What I had in mind was that Derby might agree, in such a case as this where economical petrol consumption seems to be the man's chief desire, to supply a slightly larger needle for the carburettor.

I presume you will obtain Derby's views on the matter.

Br.{T. E. Bellringer - Repair Manager}
  
  


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