An engine of one's own

How JCB and Ricardo engineered a change in motive power.

All companies like to think they respond to their customers' wishes, but when JCB decided to take responsibility for designing, developing, and building its own engine for construction equipment, most of them would have been surprised. JCB had always used suppliers for its power units-notably Perkins, part of Caterpillar-so its decision to invest heavily to become an independent engine producer was a radical move.

During the 1990s, the business case for JCB's own engine increased and by late 1998 the first major step toward that aim was made when highly commercially confidential talks were held between JCB and automotive research consultancy Ricardo about the strategic and technical case for an in-house engine.