6 September 2010
LATEST: There was no evidence anyone was actually misled when Shell claimed its petrol was “designed to take you further” despite only increasing efficiency by less than 1 percent, the judge who dismissed the case against the oil company said.
The Commerce Commission had laid 22 charges against Shell, alleging it misled people by giving them the impression they could travel “appreciably further” with Shell’s petrol additive, despite a study showing the additive increased fuel efficiency by an average of only 0.98 percent.
That amounted to an extra 6km for every 650km travelled, or yearly savings of only about $20 if a driver spent an average of $2000 on petrol a year, Wellington District Court was told last month.
The commission argued that the campaign gave “the impression of a significant benefit” to consumers
However, Judge Michael Behrens, in a decision released today, dismissed the charges, saying the evidence did not make him think Shell was guilty.
Shell’s claim was literally true and there was no doubt the petrol was designed to take the motorist further, he said.
It did not compare the petrol against that of other companies and there was some evidence that sales improved around the time of the advertising – Shell’s market share increased 0.54 percent in the months around the advertising campaign – but to make anything of that would be guessing and unfair, he said.
Shell communications manager Shona Geary said the company was pleased with the court’s decision.
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
