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).
Letter from the Managing Director of Wilmot-Breeden Ltd. detailing a suspected big end engine failure on his Bentley V.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\5\ scan0184 | |
| Date | 28th March 1941 | |
| [Handwritten top left: Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wyman] [Handwritten below: Noted [signature]] [Handwritten top right: please return for filing. 261(3)] TELEPHONE: CENTRAL 8641 (18 LINES) TELEGRAMS: "BUMPERS, BIRMINGHAM" WILMOT-BREEDEN LTD EASTERN WORKS BIRMINGHAM 1 MANAGING DIRECTOR'S OFFICE 28th March 1941. W.A. Robotham Esq., Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd. DERBY. [Handwritten diagonally: Customer cars] Dear Robotham, I thought I would give you particulars of what happened to my Bently V.{VIENNA} My chauffeur was driving me to London, and just before we got to Banbury he was remarking that the over-drive was rather noisy at and above 60 m.p.h. The speedometer was then reading 60, and I happened to look at the rev counter, which was registering nearly 4,000 revs a minute. [Handwritten in left margin, pointing to paragraph: { Clutch slip ?] I pointed that out, and the noise immediately appeared to be getting more pronounced, which was at first thought to be associated with the rev counter cable drive. There was no doubt we were not doing more than about 60 m.p.h. As we started to slow down the noise got worse and worse, until it revealed itself as obviously the big end gone. The water by that time was boiling, the oil pressure was 30, the water level was quite alright, and the oil level indicator indicated 'Full'. I thought you would like to have this information before you before examination. Other broad observations are that after having read the very interesting accounts of this chassis, I observe that the petrol consumption I get is nowhere | ||