Ray Bell,

: " Packard built lots of Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, something which is very well known of course. I was reading recently that the difference in plan-reading between the US and the UK meant they had to re-draw the plans before building the engines. And that they were more consistent in their manufacturing standards. "

You must have been reading what I have just read or something similar
- the latest issue of " New Zealand Classic Driver " has an article by Allan Dick about the" Packard Museum "
- actually a collection of Packards, a lot of English Cars and Farming Machines.
I thought the collection had gone as the owner whom I knew back in the 1980's had passed away.
Turns out that indeed Graham Craw passed away in 2007,however his son Fenton Craw who I also knew is the current Owner /Custodian..

I digress, sorry - old timers issue ....

The story is, as you say, Packard built a better - as in more reliable - version of the Rolls Royce Merlin.

To you and Ken H - keep this stuff coming.