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 to a customer regarding a bearing failure, petrol consumption, and performance of their car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 89\5\ scan0188 | |
| Date | 7th April 1941 | |
| 261(3) Customers Cars' Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/ML. 7.4.41. C.L.Breedon,Esq., Messrs Wilmot Breedon & Co.Ltd., Eastern Works, Camden Street, BIRMINGHAM. 1. Dear Breedon, Your car will be ready for. collection any time after 5 p.m. on Wednesday next. The only explanation we can suggest for the bearing failure is that we have got hold of some unsatisfactory lubricating oil, owing to war conditions. The lubricant is at the present moment being investigated by our Laboratory but the fact remains that we have had another big end bearing failure on one of our Experimental cars since your trouble. It is a very unsatisfactory explanation even if it is true, because the rest of the engine is in perfect condition. We have never previously had a big end failure on a Mark V.{VIENNA} Bentley and these have now certainly run over a quarter of a million miles, some of which were run on the Autobahnen at average speeds which could never be approached in this country. I am so sorry for the inconvenience you have suffered. With regard to the petrol consumption, our tests show that your car will be worse by 10% than your old one, under any given set of conditions. We cannot put the consumption back where it belongs because we have not the necessary parts made and because, in wartime conditions, it will take some time to put these through. As soon as they are available however, you can rest assured that you will have them. With regard to performance, your new car is better than the old one, even on side by side tests of acceleration, and much better when it comes to average speeds over long runs, because of the better braking and road holding. - Continued - | ||