Sir Diarmuid Downs (23 April 1922 – 12 February 2014) was a British automotive engineer.

Early life

Downs was born in 1922 in London, where his father ran a small engineering business manufacturing equipment for the oil industry. Downs was educated at Gunnersbury Catholic Grammar School and the

Regent Street Polytechnic The University of Westminster is a public university, public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first Polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic to open in London. The Po ...

, London. He then studied at Northampton Engineering College, London, where he graduated with First Class honours in 1942. He won a postgraduate bursary for further research and study, which he took up with Ricardo and Co.

Career

For his first 15 years with Ricardo & Co., first as student, then as a member of staff, and from 1947 as Head of the Petrol Engine Department, Downs pursued a study of fundamental study of abnormal combustion phenomena in the petrol engine, resulting in a clearer understanding of the problems of knock and pre-ignition. Downs was made a Director of Ricardo in 1957. He was made managing director ten years later, remaining in this position until 1984. He was chairman of the company from 1976 to 1987. Downs served as President of the

Institution of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 110,000 member ...

in 1978 and as President of FISITA, the International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies, from 1978 to 1980. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1985. He was elected a

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

for the

Royal Academy of Engineering The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering. The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senio ...

. More details can be found in the Bibliographical Memoirs of Fellows of The Royal Society published in 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Downs, Diarmuid 1922 births 2014 deaths Engineers from London British automotive engineers English Roman Catholics Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Presidents of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers Fellows of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Fellows of the Royal Society Knights Bachelor Knights of St. Gregory the Great Alumni of City, University of London Alumni of the Regent Street Polytechnic