Blimey, that's a blast from the past!

See here for a Backroom post from 2001 www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=437

It even says in that post that the thing has been around for years - so goodness knows how it's still going.

I have half a suspicion I tried one many years ago, on an old Maestro, i believe ... maybe they didn't cost much and maybe I thought it was worth trying - and I have a vague recollection that it did absolutely nothing and I certainly didn't buy another.

It's all coming back to me ... I bought an in-line one and fitted it to a 1982 1.3 Maestro (in that glorious excrement brown colour) - maybe as it required leaded fuel and I thought the filter might obviate the need for the additive that I used to put in the tank at every fill.

I left it on the car when selling it (for about £100 as I recall).

To summarise then ..... I don't recall it doing anything to improve mpg (I would have remembered if it did) but maybe it saved me buying the four star leaded additive. On the other hand maybe the engine would have kept going on unleaded fuel and the additive and the Broquet were money down the drain .... we'll never know.

I remember these Magic Pills being advertised back in the 70s. The ads are around for a while until busted, then they come back when folk have forgotten. The first "bust" was for the claim that the the things were developed for use in fighter aircraft in Russia, This was found to be false, as were the favourable testimonials.

Around the same time, and even earlier, adverts for Molyslip oil additive were found to grossly exaggertated. I remember one testimonial claiming the user got over 69mpg from his Mini, and, moreover, drove all the way back from central Europe to London before realising his sump had leaked and there had been no oil in the engine - with no resultant damage !