Bosch Automotive A product history

10 | Supplement 2 | Journal of Bosch History
Bottom:
Camille Jenatzy driving
a Mercedes in the 1903
Gordon Bennett Race
in Ireland. Jenatzy won
the race using a Bosch
ignition system, establishing
its reputation for
especially high quality.
Battery ignition offers a less
expensive solution
This cost issue was why Bosch started
refining battery ignition, which was a less
expensive solution, as from 1920. Although
ignition systems that worked with a current
from batteries existed prior to 1900, the
batteries of the time had little storage
capacity and could not be recharged while
the car was on the move. This ignition
system was thus impracticable for everyday
use. Magneto ignition systems, by contrast,
worked independently of any source of
current. They generated their voltage with
the help of kinetic energy from the engine
with which they were connected.
As from 1910, however, it became technically
feasible to produce a battery ignition
system that was suitable for everyday
use. The electricity that was used up by
ignition could be replaced by the generator
(which Bosch began manufacturing
in 1913) while the car was on the move.
This allowed Bosch to meet customers’
demands for cost-effective solutions. At
first, the company mainly supplied battery
ignition systems – comprising ignition coil,
ignition distributor, spark plugs, and
cables – for small and standard-sized cars.
The ignition coil generated high-voltage
current, and the distributor transferred this
Milestones
1887 1897 1902 1908 1910 1921
Low-voltage
magneto ignition for
stationary engines
Low-voltage
magneto ignition
for motor vehicle
engines
High-voltage
magneto ignition
system with spark
plug
Buzz ignition coil Ignition distributor Magneto-generator
ignition unit