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Bosch’s involvement in motorsport story began with the first major car race just after 1900.
At that time, it was Bosch magneto ignition devices powering the first racing cars. The Belgian racing driver Camille Jenatzy was one of the most successful racing drivers during this period. His 60-hp Mercedes racing car, which was equipped with a Bosch low-voltage magneto ignition, saw him triumph at the Gordon Bennett race in 1903.
By using Bosch technology in racing cars, Robert Bosch proved the high quality of his products under extreme racing conditions. Any possible weaknesses in the magneto ignition were immediately spotted at the race track by Bosch technicians, who then went on to rectify them. Bosch successfully promoted its products thanks to victories such as those by Camille Jenatzy.
The start of the 1950s saw Bosch racing service expand its operations - the service was now active international and the work began to cover new fields of technology, for example injection systems. One impressive example from this period was the French Grand Prix in 1954: the new Daimler Benz 2.5-liter formula racing cars won by a considerable margin. For the first time, Bosch direct gasoline injection was used under the hood of a racing car. Also on board was a Bosch ignition system and spark plugs.
Along with gasoline injection, Bosch saw the racing service as a testing area for other automotive electric products that were almost ready for series production. For example, halogen lights were used in vehicles in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1963 and breakerless transistor ignition systems were first used in 1965 in the Porsche 906. The Bosch engineers also used the races as an opportunity to put new automotive electronics through their paces. This led to tests with experimental and, later, close-to-production Antilock Braking Systems (ABS) in 1968 and 1974. 1978 saw the ABS being used in series vehicles for the first time.
From 1980 onward, Bosch also fitted electronic series gasoline injection systems and engine control systems in Formula 1 vehicles. The first customer was BMW, for whom Bosch developed an electronic engine control system that combined gasoline injection and ignition in an integrated electronic controller. This technology has been used in series production since 1979 and is known as "Motronic." The result of this was the Brabham BMW winning the F1 world championships in 1983. From 1983 to 1986, more vehicles featuring Bosch Motronic went on to be victorious in Formula 1.
Other success stories involving Bosch technology used in motorsport include the gasoline direct injection system, of which the motorsport version was fitted in the winning vehicles of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race from 2001 to 2005. Bosch diesel injection systems have proven equally successful. Between 2006 and 2009, vehicles featuring Bosch Common Rail diesel technology triumphed at the famous Le Mans race.
At that time, it was Bosch magneto ignition devices powering the first racing cars. The Belgian racing driver Camille Jenatzy was one of the most successful racing drivers during this period. His 60-hp Mercedes racing car, which was equipped with a Bosch low-voltage magneto ignition, saw him triumph at the Gordon Bennett race in 1903.
By using Bosch technology in racing cars, Robert Bosch proved the high quality of his products under extreme racing conditions. Any possible weaknesses in the magneto ignition were immediately spotted at the race track by Bosch technicians, who then went on to rectify them. Bosch successfully promoted its products thanks to victories such as those by Camille Jenatzy.
The start of the 1950s saw Bosch racing service expand its operations - the service was now active international and the work began to cover new fields of technology, for example injection systems. One impressive example from this period was the French Grand Prix in 1954: the new Daimler Benz 2.5-liter formula racing cars won by a considerable margin. For the first time, Bosch direct gasoline injection was used under the hood of a racing car. Also on board was a Bosch ignition system and spark plugs.
Along with gasoline injection, Bosch saw the racing service as a testing area for other automotive electric products that were almost ready for series production. For example, halogen lights were used in vehicles in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1963 and breakerless transistor ignition systems were first used in 1965 in the Porsche 906. The Bosch engineers also used the races as an opportunity to put new automotive electronics through their paces. This led to tests with experimental and, later, close-to-production Antilock Braking Systems (ABS) in 1968 and 1974. 1978 saw the ABS being used in series vehicles for the first time.
From 1980 onward, Bosch also fitted electronic series gasoline injection systems and engine control systems in Formula 1 vehicles. The first customer was BMW, for whom Bosch developed an electronic engine control system that combined gasoline injection and ignition in an integrated electronic controller. This technology has been used in series production since 1979 and is known as "Motronic." The result of this was the Brabham BMW winning the F1 world championships in 1983. From 1983 to 1986, more vehicles featuring Bosch Motronic went on to be victorious in Formula 1.
Other success stories involving Bosch technology used in motorsport include the gasoline direct injection system, of which the motorsport version was fitted in the winning vehicles of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race from 2001 to 2005. Bosch diesel injection systems have proven equally successful. Between 2006 and 2009, vehicles featuring Bosch Common Rail diesel technology triumphed at the famous Le Mans race.
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