From 1962 onwards, many Britons - especially housewives - were able to proudly report that they had Rolls that were used more than regularly and were able to cope well with their task. Can you imagine how awe of the conversation partner grew if such texts were ventilated? It was then a Rolls Rapide.
No, not a car, but a washing machine! And on wheels so that kilometers could be made in the kitchen. It was a conception of a certain John Bloom, a former war pilot in the Royal Air Force, who after several jobs as a salesman at the door came into contact with a Dutch (!) washing machine builder who had a washing machine in which two laundry items could be run simultaneously in the delivery program. His brilliant idea of selling these washing machines directly to the public made him decide a catchy advertisement in the newspaper The Daily Mirror to place.
That one advertisement almost gave him 7.000 responses! The washing machine could also be purchased on 'hire-purchase'. This controversial Briton had already pulled the jackpot earlier with the sale of electric shavers for which he founded the Rolls Razor Company. That success led him to order no less than 25.000 washing machines in one go…, but also that he took over the British washing machine manufacturer Prestcold and made a deal with dishwasher manufacturer Colston. All these actions meant that he could put his 'white goods' on the market for half of the usual prices of competitors. In 1963 he sold no less than 20.000 washing machines in one year. The money came in. But then came 1964, raised advertising rates and a long-term strike by the British postal service, which meant that the coupons from his advertisements no longer reached his company, and that meant the imminent end of his empire. At the end of that year his company went bankrupt and the Rolls Rapide was over ...
