Earliest and latest Bosch technology on display at the SMMT

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ new headquarters in London’s Great Peter Street is hosting a display to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the firm Robert Bosch, which began life in Germany in 1886 under the company name ‘Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering’ (Werkstätte für Feinmechanik und Elektrotechnik). Bosch says both the vehicles on display and the choice of venue have “particular significance” for the company.

The cars, an 1899 Daimler and a 2011 Jaguar XJ 3.0-litre diesel, represent the earliest and latest models to feature Bosch components and technologies. The SMMT venue is also significant in that Robert Bosch and Frederick Simms – the first president of the Society – formed an association to produce automotive magnetos, the first of which was fitted to the Daimler. London was also the site of Robert Bosch’s first overseas office, the Bosch Magneto Company Ltd, which opened near Oxford Street in 1907.

The 1899 Daimler Phaeton 12hp, fitted with a Bosch magneto, was built under license by Frederick Simms – one of British motoring’s founding fathers – in Coventry. The Daimler is an exhibit from the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu and was considered, on its day, to be very advanced technically with candle-powered headlamps, pneumatic tyres on the front wheels and solid rubber tyres on the rear.

The car on display was purchased by Lord Montagu’s father, and the then Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII, had one of his first rides in this car. It was also the first all-British entry in the classic Paris to Ostend road race in which it finished a commendable 3rd in the Tourist Class. The car has a maximum speed of 30 mph and cost £775 to buy at the time.

The second car on display at the SMMT is the latest Jaguar XJ 3.0-litre diesel long wheelbase saloon, a vehicle representative of the current leading-edge of automotive technology. The Jaguar, manufactured in Birmingham, features a number of Bosch components and technologies, including the diesel engine management system, electronic stability program, elements of the infotainment systems and a range of other sensors.