AN OIL TEST.

THROUGH the courtesy of Messrs. Shell-Mex we received for test a drum of Aeroshell oil. The makers claim that this oil is capable of withstanding the same loads as oils of vegetable origin, together with freedom from guituning-up and deposit. Racing successes obtained in 1931 have shown its capabilities in the first direction, so our test was made simply to find out its suitability for ordinary sports car use.

The car used, for the test was a supercharged 4i-litre Bentley. The sump was drained and then fillcd with Aeroshell. Judging from the reading of the oilpressure gauge, the oil appeared to have much the same viscosity when cold as the one usually used, but maintained its body better when hot. The car was run for 746 miles, mostly on fast main road work, and the oil-levc1 was then restored to its former height by the addition of more oil. The quantity required was three quarts, giving a consumption of just under 1,000 miles per gallon. The Bentley oil consumption is always fairly heavy, as the sump also lubricates the blower, but the Aeroshell figure showed an improvement of about 15%.

No trouble with gumming was experienced, the engine starting freely in the coldest weather without recourse to cranking. There was no exhaust smell or other drawbacks that we could, find, so that the oil appears to combine successfully, touring qualities and racing performance.