Saw a full page ad for this product which normally I would normally have just flicked over, but boredom at the time led me to read it. It sounds far too good to be true, but is it? I use to add 'Slick50' to all my engines but the first car I haven't is my current Focus. That too was a 'snake oil' for many, but I just liked adding it! These 'pellets' appear to be a one off addition to cure/prevent many ills.

Oh, if anyone does fancy an experiment, the ad has a £10 off code, 'CWEEK'

FTC direct

Yeah, I've seen that ad several times and wondered the same. You can see the logic to their argument that manufacturers/fuel companies might not want you to use it. But then, on the other hand, if they were in general use and do as they claim, it would have saved manufacturers billions in developing emissions gear and maybe even rendered electric cars etc unnecessary. 

So, dunno - any of our scientifically qualified members able to comment, I wonder?

 

I've no idea but googling the "Dr. Victor Cunningham" quoted in the article doesn't return any matches that would allow me to verify his qualifications on the subject. Wouldn't risk it in my car!

I can't find anything about Hurricanes out of Mumansk but did something about spitfires and American fuel.

https://www.rsc.org/news-events/articles/2009/05-may/spitfire-fuel/

I can remember something like this being advertised way back in my motorcycling days, late 50's, early 60's. I can't help feeling if there was any truth in it these would have been in widespread use for years.

So my verdict would be Snake Oil.

I would also take the claims in the report you've linked to with a pinch of salt. There was continuous engine development going on so the planes in the Battle of Britain were not the same as had fought over France. For example the problem of the engines spluttering to a standstill in a negative-G situation had been solved and of course they were fighting over home soil giving them greater endurance.

I installed one of these inline swirl filters to my turbo inlet years ago on a previous car following a really good magazine ad! (I'm a sucker for a good ad LOL). It looked very shiny and I loved polishing it, and psychologically, it added at least another 20BHP LOL 🤣

Sounds like bull to me...  But I did have a giggle looking at the reviews.  

They are bull and nothing new. I can't remember their name but they were sold as round pellets years ago with the false claim that they were developed during world war two for planes because Johnny foreigners fuel was not as good as ours.

It was about the time that Lead was being banned from petrol and the claim was that your valves would not burn out and it would increase the octane rating of the petrol if you put them in your fuel tank. 

Well I must say Dr. Victor Cunningham hasn't aged well since their 2017 adverts and seems to have change ethnicity.

Time to call Advertising Standards? 

4 hours ago, Mark-UK said:

Well I must say Dr. Victor Cunningham hasn't aged well since their 2017 adverts and seems to have change ethnicity.

That was the same script that they used years ago as per my previous post.

At the time one of the technical motoring magazines offered to test their and other products that were claimed to be Lead substitutes and they refused in such an arrogant manor that the magazine pulled their adverts and I never heard anything more until I read this post.  

15 hours ago, Tizer said:

 I never heard anything more until I read this post.  

Yes,  I remember this thing being touted years ago, then disappearing. It seems to have started to appear again fairly recently, in those advertising sections of the Sunday papers, rather than in the motoring press. 

Just now, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Yes,  I remember this thing being touted years ago, then disappearing. It seems to have started to appear again fairly recently, in those advertising sections of the Sunday papers, rather than in the motoring press. 

I saw the full page ad in a recent copy of Classic Cars. I'm intrigued by these types of adverts as I use to be responsible for issuing press releases for a local council, and I can see many of the same literary 'techniques' I used, it's quite amusing...

Just now, StephenFord said:

I can see many of the same literary 'techniques' I used, it's quite amusing...

You're not meaning "bullsh*t" by any chance, are you, Stephen?😀

Just now, Eric Bloodaxe said:

You're not meaning "bullsh*t" by any chance, are you, Stephen?😀

I was going for the more polite, 'spin', but sure, bullsh*t' sums it up nicely LOL 🤣

So, does the ad fall on with the advertising guidelines of being 'legal, decent, honest and truthful'  ? 

35 minutes ago, nicam49 said:

So, does the ad fall on with the advertising guidelines of being 'legal, decent, honest and truthful'  ? 

On balance, I think not.

I'll look out for it in the Sunday rags and maybe fire off a complaint if I see it again. It will make a change from all the phishing scams I've been reporting during Coronavirus!😀

https://www.asa.org.uk/make-a-complaint.html

On 12/10/2020 at 11:44 AM, mjt said:

For example the problem of the engines spluttering to a standstill in a negative-G situation had been solved 

Ah, yes - the famous Miss Shilling's orifice!😀