- Ford wins Dewar Trophy for the 1.0-litre EcoBoost.
- Bowlby awarded Simms Medal for his work on the Nissan DeltaWing.
- Special Commendation for McLaren Automotive for its contribution to advanced automotive construction techniques.
The Royal Automobile Club yesterday announced that the 2012 Dewar Trophy for outstanding British technical achievement in the automotive industry has been awarded to Ford of Britain for its 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine.
The award was presented to Graham Hoare, Head of the Ford Dunton Technical Centre, and members of the EcoBoost engineering team during a ceremonial lunch at the Royal Automobile Club in London.
The Dewar Trophy recognises the best of British engineering in the automotive industry. The unanimous decision to award the 2012 Trophy to Ford of Britain’s EcoBoost team was made by experts on the Dewar Technical Committee. The Ford team was recognised for setting itself challenging targets and bringing together a significant number of advanced technologies to push the boundaries of engine design.
Graham Hoare said, “It is a great honour to receive this award on behalf of the Engineering Team at Ford. We are incredibly proud of the 1.0 EcoBoost and it’s a great example of what we do best – combining creative thinking with innovative design and painstaking engineering, and we are delighted that the committee has recognised our achievement in this way. Our next challenge at Dunton is an all-new low C02 diesel engine for mid-decade – and we’ll be approaching that challenge with exactly the same passion, so stay tuned.”
“Ford of Britain’s engineers at Dunton have produced an outstanding downsized powertrain that delivers exceptional economy while achieving the high torque and relaxed driving characteristics normally associated with a diesel and the smooth, free-revving qualities of a petrol engine, that has won acclaim from everyone who has driven it,” said John Wood MBE, Chairman of the Dewar Technical Committee.
The RAC Club also recognised the McLaren Group with a Special Commendation for the company’s ongoing contribution to advanced automotive construction techniques, specifically the development and commercial application of Resin Transfer Moulding of carbon fibre in the manufacture of the Monocell chassis for the McLaren MP4-12C.
The Simms Medal, recognising a genuine contribution to motoring innovation by individuals or small companies that also exemplify the spirit of adventure, was awarded to British automotive designer Ben Bowlby for his work on the creation of the incredible DeltaWing racing car, a star attraction at Le Mans where it was raced by the Nissan team.
Commenting on the event Tom Purves, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, said, “We are pleased to recognise outstanding achievements by the British automotive industry. Drawing attention to automotive innovation is an important part of our contribution to this vibrant part of the manufacturing industry.”
