The Phantom 1 Rolls-Royce

Our Phantom 1 Rolls-Royce was getting low on petrol and spotting a sign saying Petrol Pump a mile ahead I decided to get filled up there. We were in Ireland where we had rented a small bungalow near Rosscarbury just above the Long Strand. The Rolls Royce had a 40 gallon petrol tank which befitted its 10mpg and the gauged showed it was now on the last gallon.

Petrol pumps were often found attached to small shops and this was one of them. In 1958 all pumps were manually operated and quite tiring to work. After the attendant had been pumping away for some time I could see he was getting worried. At one moment he stopped pumping and, on his hands and knees, examined the ground under the back of the car. He then returned to his task and gave the pump a few more strokes. Again he stopped and peered under the car!

Scratching his head he looked at me imploringly. I told him to carry on! But instead of doing so he walked back into his shop which, like all shops in Ireland, had a bar and I had to go there to get him back to finish filling the tank. Well resuscitated from the pint of Guinness I found him finishing he returned to complete his task. It was only then I let him into the secret of how much the tank held!