Car Talk #2553: Rolls-Royce Naming Rights & Car Repair Advice

The Rolls-Royce Naming Saga

• 💡 Rolls-Royce was put up for sale, with BMW initially interested due to their engine supply agreement.
• 🎯 Volkswagen outbid BMW, paying hundreds of millions for the company, believing the name Rolls-Royce alone was worth the investment.
• 🔑 A critical oversight by VW was discovering they purchased the company but not the name Rolls-Royce, which BMW had secured from the aircraft engine division.
• 🧩 BMW then offered to license the name to VW for a limited time, while VW retained the Bentley brand.

Car Repair Advice

• 🚗 A 1989 Honda Civic wagon with 79,000 miles experiences starting issues in hot weather, possibly due to a bad fuel pump relay or a weak fuel pump.
• ⚙️ A 1989 Volkswagen Golf with 175,000 miles makes a loud metallic grinding noise when starting, likely caused by chewed-up gears on the flywheel where the starter engages.
• 💨 A 1997 Mitsubishi Montero Sport with 40,000 miles has a squealing noise during hard acceleration and downshifts, attributed to a slipping serpentine belt that drives multiple components.
• 🛠️ A 1994 Crown Victoria with a reconstructed title (totaled and repaired) requires thorough inspection of the frame, alignment, and general mechanical condition by a body shop, alignment shop, and regular mechanic.
• ⛽ A 1994 Saturn SL2 with 78,000 miles developed stuttering and jerking issues after an oil change, potentially unrelated to the service but possibly a vacuum hose issue or a bad spark plug wire.

Car Talk's Puzzler Archive

• 🧠 Listeners can find classic Car Talk puzzlers on their website during the summer break to challenge themselves.
• 📧 Puzzler suggestions can be submitted via email or mail to Puzzler Tower, Car Talk Plaza.