Great machine
you've got yourself there Steve, well worth delaying the home improvements for, no that you've time for that with all these lovely machine to enjoy.
Maybe I'm wrong but I'd always assumed the anti squeal spring on the clutch was to conduct the heat away from the clutch as it slips for the duration of the static drain, and perhaps at twice the speed why the 2 pole motor required 2 springs, they are in a way like convector heater coils.
This clutch slip I know is engineered to a tolerance etc, but with my engineering hat on, I've never liked the fact the clutch slips for several minutes creating heat that has to be dispersed, whilst the tub drains, it obviously works reliably as proved for going on 40 years, it just isn't a very elegant solution in my view.
Thanks for showing all these photos of the packaging, these are all memories for many of us, I certainly remember unpacking our new 18*** 2 button bol model machine in november1979, (not long after the purple was replaced by the brown and silver colour scheme), unbolting the bracket holding the tub in place and cardboard sections etc, these are the photos you can't take with restoration projects, so great to see the original packaging here. They certainly only gave away persil automatic and comfort by 1979.
So look forward to reading and seeing about the first wash.
Mathew