Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost Engine Bags Yet Another Award

Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine has grabbed yet another award, this time Royal Automobile Club has awarded Dewar Trophy to the engineering team for outstanding British technical achievement in the automotive industry. The similar engine will be sporting the india bound Ford EcoSport, which has been scheduled to launch in February 2013. This prestigious accolade 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 on Pall Mall, London.

The Dewar Trophy, which has a lineage of winners dating back to 1906, recognises the best of British engineering in the automotive industry. Previous winners have included Rolls-Royce in 1907 for its 40.5hp engine; Dunlop in 1957 for work developing disc brakes and modern tyres; the British Motor Corporation and Alec Issigonis for the original Mini in 1959; Jaguar in 2003 for its groundbreaking all-aluminium chassis; and the JCB Dieselmax land-speed record team in 2006. Awarding the 2012 Trophy to Ford of Britain’s EcoBoost team was a unanimous decision made by experts on the Dewar Technical Committee. The Ford team was recognised for setting themselves challenging targets and bringing together a significant number of advanced technologies to push the boundaries of engine design.

“Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine sets extraordinary new standards of efficiency, refinement and driver appeal – and brings them to the mass of British drivers who buy and drive affordable cars,” said Steve Cropley, Dewar Committee member and motoring journalist. The Dewar Technical Committee 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.

“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 1.0 litre Ecoboost powertrain was voted a clear winner despite 35 other competitive candidates. However, the developments at McLaren Automotive were so impressive the Technical Committee also decided to recognise them with a special recognition award. It reflects very positively on the engineering skill and talent we have in Britain today.”

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. The DeltaWing itself was displayed in the Royal Automobile Club during the event.

Commenting on the ceremony and the event Tom Purves, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, said: “We are pleased to recognise outstanding achievements by the British automotive industry. Part of the raison d'etre of the Royal Automobile Club has always been the promotion of all things motoring, never more so than in tough economic times. Drawing attention to automotive innovation is an important part of our contribution to this vibrant part of the manufacturing industry."