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).
U.S.A. customer complaints, attributing issues to low-grade fuel and proposing vehicle modifications.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\G\June1921\ Scan7 | |
| Date | 8th June 1921 | |
| To R.R. of America Inc. from R.{Sir Henry Royce} (For the attention of Mr. N. Helman.) Copy to Co. CY: WOR{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}: HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}: DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}: RY: FX: FP{F. Potts} ORIGINAL RECEIVED E F O JUN 14 1921 X3719 RE U.S.A. COMPLAINTS. We have agreed and arranged that Mr. Platford shall stay in the U.S.A. until the customers are more uniformly satisfied. The source of the trouble is the low grade of the fuel and the bad state of the roads. In England these things are much better. Real satisfaction will not be obtained until these conditions are improved. The American cars sent over here [we think] are also a long way from being perfect. We realised long ago that the way to meet the changed conditions is little short of a complete new design, but in the meantime much can be done with better management and small modifications, firstly by adopting on all post-War cars, those modifications which we have already agreed to, and which are mentioned below, with further conclusions, under their respective headings:- STARTING, SLOW RUNNING AND TROUBLES DUE TO LOW GRADE FUEL. AND EXTREMELY COLD WINTER. [Strikethrough on last part] X 4305. X 3456. X3678 I have suggested and agreed to the fitting of louvres in front of the radiators, and I now consider that these should be thermostatically operated in every case, so as not to leave it to the care and patience of the gentleman driver or his chauffeur to give sufficient attention to watch the thermometer so as to maintain the water in the engine as near boiling point as possible. It has been seen and concluded long ago that no car (Contd.) | ||