Good for DAF

Sir,

In your February issue, you invite readers to let you know of any ,experiences with the Startix device. Around 1935 I did a fair amount of driving in a Standard 12 which was so fitted. The owner of the car seemed to find it useful, but as far as I was concerned it was nothing more than a nuisance. It may well have had advantages for someone just learning to drive in that it eliminated one more control to think about, but that is all that I could find in its favour.

The new device, the “Startomatic”, which you describe may well do all that is claimed for it as regards fuel consumption, but it seems to me that anyone buying one of these will have to get a battery charger as well unless he does a fair amount of open-road driving.

Letters reporting instances of poor service in your magazine seem to outnumber those on good service by a considerable margin. It is with real pleasure, therefore, that I can tell you of one case, at least, of really good customer consideration.

Some months ago I had a DAF 44. Hardly a sporting vehicle but no matter. At some 11,000 miles and two months out of guarantee very expensive engine noises were heard, a very unusual occurrence, I understand, on these cars. The local distributors had a look and a listen and decided that a complete engine strip, repair and re-assembly was needed. On my pointing out that a car was absolutely necessary to me for my daily work—they said that they might well need to keep mine for at least three weeks—I was at once offered a replacement which I drove away at once and which I was authorised to keep for as long as necessary. The repair to my car was very expensive and with little hope I wrote to the Concessionnaires to see if at least part of the cost could be home by them although the Guarantee had expired. They co-operated wonderfully and allowed me the cost of all parts—some two thirds of the total account.

It is little wonder that I am now running a DAF 55, which for economy and performance is a real eye-opener.

Moseley O. Heim