 Robert Bosch
Robert Bosch is became known in automotive history in connection mainly with the electric ignition. When he turned to the diesel engine, his company had already experienced tremendous
growth. He also gained reputation, especially in the USA. But there, he probably earned less fame for adapting the diesel engine to the motor vehicle.
He had already become acquainted with the diesel engine in its experimental stage. Rudolf Diesel called for him in his greatest need. But what was the manufacturer of the high-voltage
magneto ignition supposed to do with an engine that was designed without an electric ignition? But what had prompted Bosch to finally devote himself to the diesel engine? Perhaps it was the
unfavorable situation after the First World War that made Bosch look for new ways.
No, Robert Bosch did not learn electrics from scratch, it probably did not exist in this form during his apprenticeship. After all, he was born in rural Swabia in 1861. He also shaped electrics with
his company, and not just for cars. No, he learned precision mechanics, which at least predestined him to have the skills to build high-precision injection systems. More than just the
apprenticeship, it was probably a kind of journeyman's travel, which was still quite common at the time, that helped him progress.
The borders of Germany, which had only existed since 1871, were probably too narrow for him. He visited Great Britain and even met Thomas Alva Edison in the USA. At the age of 25 he was back home, married and
founded his company. In 1886 he was of course a long way from his later (partial) specialization in automotive technology. The first two automobiles ever, the Benz three-wheeler and the motor carriage by Daimler and
Maybach, had just been introduced.
Robert Bosch had to make do with electrical home installations and repairs to smaller mechanical and electrical parts. But he was later drawn into the problems that arose in this sector. In line with his previous focus, his
company then built the first electric ignition for stationary engines. It was the enormous risk of fire that made the new equipment and the frequent conversion of Daimler's glow tube ignition to an electric ignition worthwhile.
The magneto ignition did not require a battery. Bosch built one of the first in 1897 into a three-wheeler with a rear engine. It was the employees Arnold Zähringer and Gottlob Honold who successively developed the low-
voltage and high-voltage ignition. Often, competing racers in the top places were equipped with Bosch ignition systems. From 1906 onwards, the reputation spread to the farthest corners of America.
From 1913 onwards, Bosch also supplied complete electrical equipment for vehicles. The voltage regulator received particular attention, but a final solution to the problem of voltage regulation was not found until much
later. The First World War was of even greater importance to the company than it already was, because by 1913 88 percent of its sales were already being made outside Germany, which meant that the loss of the war
meant having to start almost from scratch again.
From 1913 onwards, Bosch also supplied complete electrical equipment for vehicles. The voltage regulator received particular attention, but a final solution to the problem of voltage regulation was not found until much
later. The First World War was of even greater importance to the company than it already was, because by 1913 88 percent of its sales were being made outside Germany, which meant that the loss of the war implied
having to start almost from scratch again.
Added to this was the increased use of production by the German Reich, even before the war, with in total doubling of the workforce in Stuttgart and a tripling of the workforce in Feuerbach. And this despite the ongoing
withdrawal of qualified workers. Then after the First World War, there was a huge factory looking for employment.
Robert Bosch was so plagued in mind by the money he earned during the war that he donated it all. It must have been well over 20 million marks, which would be an unimaginable sum today. He did not entirely agree with
the conversion of his company into a stock corporation. Now you just have to add to the famine after the war, ever-increasing inflation and the reparations stipulated in the Treaty of Versailles, and you have a fairly good idea
of the political framework, which of course was reflected in the chaotic day-to-day events of the Weimar Republic.
The war was probably the trigger for many things. Anyone who worked with land vehicles had to realize that the diesel engine was far superior to the steam engine when it came to heavier loads. After all, ships were
already equipped with them and it was easy to see the difference between refueling with oil products and the laborious coaling of a steamship, especially since in principle much less fuel was needed.
But even though Rudolf Diesel had dreamed of it, the installation of a diesel engine in a car was not even conceivable. The time of the invention of magneto ignition and the perhaps even more difficult work on the voltage
regulator in the 1920s showed that a manufacturer cannot do everything. This was the suppliers' big moment, because the inventions require so much energy and perseverance and everyone can benefit from them
afterwards.
Incidentally, the first Bosch service, which was also so important for the later maintenance of injection systems, was established in 1921, a kind of franchise system, independent workshops that were tied to Bosch
products and repair methods. It is said that the development of an injection pump and nozzle began at the turn of the year 1922/23. Mind you, it was not until 1927 that they were able to be delivered in series, and the
thousandth one a year later. It took almost the same amount of time as Diesel to create the appropriate engine.
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