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 chassis No. 102-EE and its comparison to a Lanchester car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\1\ Scan029 | |
| Date | 19th April 1921 | |
| X4117 COPY PN{Mr Northey}3/DW/19.4.21. TO CJ. As desired by you, I called upon Mr. Hordern, Holmwood Lodge, Dorking, on the 18th inst. by appointment, with our Open Trials car. This is the case in which it was reported to us through his brother-in-law - Mr. Colin Campbell of Harrow-on-the-Hill, that Mr. Hordern's new Rolls-Royce chassis No.102-EE was not giving satisfaction, and that the owner who had recently purchased a new Lanchester considered that the latter car was greatly better in many respects. Mr. Hordern was one of the motorists of the early days and has owned a great variety of cars; he fancies himself very much as a driver and especially as one having experience of speed on the road. I found that he was the type of man who has a considerable amount of superficial knowledge of motor engineering, but that is all, for he is much inclined to talk through his hat on technical matters and makes wild statements as to the performance and achievements of other cars. I discovered that Mr. Hordern was dis-inclined to appreciate any good feature in the Rolls-Royce chassis and would do so only reluctantly when it was forced down his throat; also that he was dis-inclined to believe anything disparaging to the new Lanchester, which he was never tired of praising and cracking up in every way. This pose can definitely be explained by some information which his brother-in-law - Mr. Colin Campbell - gave me, to the effect that some little time ago, Mr. Hordern's brother in Australia wrote and asked him to purchase a Rolls-Royce car for him, but that if in his opinion there was any other car such as the Lanchester, which could be considered better than the Post-War Rolls-Royce, he was to use his discretion and purchase this other car. As a matter of fact, Mr. Hordern purchased two Lanchesters - one for himself and one for his brother, and undoubtedly he is denying every suggestion that he has made a mistake, and that he has bought for his brother something which is not as good as a Rolls-Royce. With regard to the Post-War chassis No. 102-EE owned by Mr. Hordern, he complained of the following :- (a) That he could not change into top gear easily. (b) That the magneto would not run without misfiring under 15 miles an hour. (c) That whenever he put the accelerator down, the PTO. | ||