2019 Review of CAI News and Blogs
2019 proved to be another busy year for the Caerbont Automotive Instruments team and we look back at some of the highlights and news from the last twelve months.
January
2019 marked the 60th anniversary of the Mini and it was very appropriate that our first blog of the year was about the British Mini Club’s 20th Mini Fair (January 2019). SMITHS and the Mini have a long-standing association and the classic gauges were displayed on a number of stands at the event.
Later in the month, the ‘Mini’ theme continued with a story about the amazing Remastered Minis produced by David Brown Engineering. David Brown Automotive has applied their rich history of engineering knowledge and skill to reinvent and revive the British motoring icon. As with the original, the David Brown engineers turned to SMITHS for the instrumentation.
March
The history of the SMITHS brand of instrumentation is associated with some of the world’s most iconic motoring companies. We looked back at some of the origins of some of the oldest (pre-1939) British classic car companies to find out how they became known as Aston Martin, Jaguar and Bentley.
In March we announced the purchase of a new laser etching machine. This has enabled CAI to design and manufacture an expanded range of dial designs incorporating new cutting-edge processes. The FOBA Laser Engraving Machine was purchased with support from SMARTCymru.
April
CAI staff took to the high seas on a Tall Ships 72ft Challenger Yacht. This was the first time sailing for many of the CAI employees and it took time for some of the crew to find their sea legs. However, the experience was exhilarating, riding the waves at high speeds, whilst working together as a closely-knit team.
June
After a 91-year break, the Wales-based Wardill Motorcycle Company returned with a new hand build motorbike called the Wardill4. The new vintage motorcycle is based on an original design started over 100 years ago, but with a modern twist. Owner Mark Wardill wanted SMITHS instruments on the bike and contacted CAI to bespoke design the speedometer. The finished motorcycle was something special and was displayed on the CAI stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
July
The beginning of July was all about the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Once again, the 4-day event attracted visitors from all over the world. The CAI team had the opportunity to speak with many motoring enthusiasts and car and motorcycle manufacturers.
Later in the month, the Mini theme returned with details of SMITHS gauges being on display at the International Mini Meeting in Bristol, UK (8-12 August 2019). The International Mini Meeting (IMM) only visits the UK every 5 years and is was appropriate that this year’s event coincided with the 60th birthday celebrations.
We hope you have enjoyed reading our news and stories in 2019. We are already researching our motoring history for 2020 and will have news on some exciting new projects for cars, motorcycles and marine applications - watch out for some new product launches soon! If you are interested in receiving further information on any of the articles or details on new or classic gauges, please contact us on:
Via the website
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 1639 732200
You can also follow us on social media for regular news updates, photographs and technical information:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Posted by Paul Fears on
17 December 2019 at 12:00 AM
Tags:
David Brown EngineeringGoodwood Festival of SpeedMiniWardill4 Motorcycle
Categories:
News