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).
Correcting a report about customer issues with Ethyl lead fuel in Bentley cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 150\1\ scan0279 | |
| Date | 29th January 1937 | |
| S/W {Sales / Derby Works} Rm. {William Robotham - Chief Engineer} ...from C. 1282 WYMAN Noted Re ETHYL LEAD FUEL IN BENTLEY CARS. Sg. {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} has informed me that you asked for this to be left in abeyance for a month to give you an opportunity of getting further experience with different plugs, which is, of course, quite in order. I do think, however, that I should correct the impression you have in regard to this trouble as set out in your Rm {William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 6/R19.1.37 to H. {Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} In the third paragraph you say there are one or two unreasonable owners who are making the lives of people at Conduit St. {Capt. P. R. Strong} a burden, and the copy of the report of your man which you enclose also gives you this impression - which he appears to have got from Mr.Clark. You quote Capt.Milburn as one.. first complaint misfiring after 11,727 miles. What happened in this case was that Capt.Milburn has always used straight petrol until he had the car decarbonised and then he was advised to use Ethyl. He had only run a few hundred miles on this when he had trouble and advised us of it. We gave him a clean set of old plugs and he went back to straight petrol and has had no trouble since. Your man has got the wrong story in respect of Capt.Milburn, who, incidentally, is one of the oldest customers we have of Rolls-Royce cars. Re Gowen, the reports says that he believes him to be a Canadian suffering from an American complex. I know Mr.Gowen very well indeed, and this is not the case;; he is an American with an English complex. He runs a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley and buys 3 or 4 cars a year. I only mention these things to show you how easy it is to get a wrong impression. It was unfortunate these two particular customers were quoted, as whoever told your man has given him an entirely wrong idea. C. | ||