Robert Bosch

Robert Bosch
Robert Bosch, the 11th offspring of an innkeeper and farmer, entered life on September 23, 1861, in Albeck, a village near Ulm, Germany. Since most of his ancestors were part of the poor working class, his father encouraged him to set his sights higher by entering a mechanical trade after completing his basic education at the age of 15.

Entered into an apprenticeship, Bosch initially studied the construction of precision instruments. The science of electricity interested him as well, and he traveled extensively for trade experience. His early employers included Sigmund Schuckert in Nurnberg, Thomas Edison and Sigmund Bergman in 1884 and 1885 in the United States, and the Siemens Brothers in England.

Bosch returned to Germany in 1886 to open a small company of his own for the production of precision mechanics and electrical engineering. Electric arc lamps held his early interest, and he considered opening a lamp factory with his future brother-in-law. However, when the venture did not materialize, and with the money he inherited from his father, Bosch established his first workshop in Stuttgart, Germany, with two employees.

To develop a well-known name, a variety of non-related products were produced. Wooden box cameras, cigar-tip cutters, and modified typewriter keys for the blind were early products, along with a remote electrical water-level indicator. To further increase his income, the company installed telephones, along with staff paging systems. Bosch also offered the installation of electricity to homes and businesses.

The company's breakthrough product, however, was a magneto ignition system initially developed by Deutz, an engine manufacturer in Cologne, Germany, that produced stationary internal-combustion engines. This device was fabricated to the customer's specification for possible production. Upon analyzing the prototype, Bosch realized the sample unit would not provide a reasonable service life and modified the unpatented original. Gaining an initial order, Bosch's magneto production started slowly and gradually generated 50 percent of his yearly sales for the next five years.

By the end of 1897, the company introduced a vastly improved version of the magneto ignition system, raising the speed levels in engines to 1,200 rpm. In 1898, Bosch was asked to test his ignition device in a motorized vehicle. Orders poured in, and the company began to look at exports, first in England, then in France.

In 1901, Bosch hired a new development head for his first real factory. Gottlob Honold further developed the magneto system with the addition of the spark plug. The new addition allowed increased engine rpm.

By 1906, all of the world's major automotive manufacturers were customers of Bosch. A new Paris factory was set up, with another in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the United States. By 1913, a full 88 percent of the company's business was generated outside of Germany. Other products produced included: headlights, generators, voltage regulators, batteries, and an electric starter motor in 1914.