WHO D’THEY THINK THE’RE KIDDIN’ ?

Sir,

Reference the recent ” too,000 miles ” R.A.C. observed trials on various cars using B.P. visco-static motor oil.

For some time past we have been induced to think, by Means of television and other media, and with the aid of radioactive isotopes, geiger-counters and the like, that the majority of engine wear takes place in the few minutes immediately following 3 cold start; and H.P. have devoted much energy to demonstrate that their visco-static oil, being extremely mobile at low temperatures, does much to counteract this condition by flowing to the various working surfaces much more rapidly than the more normal oils which are too viscous under these conditions.

If we accept this as reasonable, and thus understand that the majority of our engine wear will occur in those few minutes subsequent to each cold start, it requires little intellect to realise that an engine running for 100,000 miles in nine months will have so little opportunity of being cold, that wear will be extremely light. What then do these tests prove, other than that a modern engine, run under cruising .conditions, serviced at regular intervals, and with the necessary repairs being executed in good time, and kept at optimum temperature for the vast majority of its running time, does not wear Out in too,000 miles ? I even venture to suggest that a similar test under such ” test-bed ” conditions would show very much the same results., the only safeguard being ” Studgum’s Super.” The inferred claim of the man from B.P. (on the tele). a most plausible type, that these tests are equivalent to 12 years of normal motoring is thus seen to be ludicrous—nay pitiful—and what is more fantastic is that the Chief Engineer

of the R.A.C., -a supposedly neutral body, who makes his appearance in scene two of the farce, merely talks of the lack of wear to the various components, bores, bearings, etc., and does nothing to discredit the previous ” 12-year claims,” thereby by inference supporting it.

I suppose the enormous expense of this campaign is considered justified by the theory that you can fool some of the people all the time, and all the people some of the time. One wonders, discounting the Chancellor’s abortive levy, how much fuel and oil would cost if it was sold by reputation, rather than by exaggerated claims?

I, sir, smoke ” No Name ” tobacco! ! R. G. E. RABETT,

Chesterfield. B.Sc.(Eng.), A.M.Inst.B.E.