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Sir Diarmuid Downs CB, KSG,^[1] FRS, FREng,^[2] FIMechE (23 April 1922 – 12 February 2014)^[3] 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, London.^[4] 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.^[5]

Downs served as President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1978 and as President of FISITA, the International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies, from 1978 to 1980.^[6] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1985.^[7] He was elected a Fellow^[8] for the Royal Academy of Engineering.^[9]

More details can be found in the Bibliographical Memoirs of Fellows of The Royal Society published in 2019.^[10]

References

^ Association Members Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine -Website of the Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain
^ "List of Fellows". Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ "Sir Diarmuid Cbe Frs Downs". The Argus. 18 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
^ "Engineering Heritage Awards - IMechE".
^ Ricardo Consulting Engineers
^ International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies
^ "Fellows". Royal Society. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
^ "List of Fellows". Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ "List of Fellows". Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ Morrison, David (2019). "Sir Diarmuid Downs CBE. 23 April 1922—12 February 2014". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 66: 159–181. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2018.0036.

Professional and academic associations
Preceded by Hugh Ford	President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers 1978	Succeeded by James Gordon Dawson

[1] Association Members Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine -Website of the Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain

[2] "List of Fellows". Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2014.

[3] "Sir Diarmuid Cbe Frs Downs". The Argus. 18 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2014.

[4] "Engineering Heritage Awards - IMechE".

[5] Ricardo Consulting Engineers

[6] International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies

[7] "Fellows". Royal Society. Retrieved 28 November 2010.

[8] "List of Fellows". Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2014.

[9] "List of Fellows". Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2014.

[10] Morrison, David (2019). "Sir Diarmuid Downs CBE. 23 April 1922—12 February 2014". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 66: 159–181. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2018.0036.

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@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
 {{Use British English|date=April 2018}}
-'''Sir Diarmuid Downs''' [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Order of Saint Gregory the Great|KSG]],<ref>[http://www.papalknights.org.uk/assoc-members.html Association Members] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206024623/http://www.papalknights.org.uk/assoc-members.html |date=2012-02-06 }} -Website of the Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain</ref> [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]], [[FREng]],<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Fellows|url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/people-council-committees/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows|access-date=16 October 2014|archive-date=8 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608094405/http://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/people-council-committees/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[FIMechE]] (23 April 1922 – 12 February 2014)<ref>{{cite news|title=Sir Diarmuid Cbe Frs Downs|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/announcements/deaths/deaths/11017298.Sir_Diarmuid_CBE_FRS_DOWNS/|access-date=19 February 2014|newspaper=The Argus|date=18 February 2012}}</ref> was a British automotive engineer.
+'''Sir Diarmuid Downs''' [[Order of the Bath|CB]], [[Order of Saint Gregory the Great|KSG]],<ref>[http://www.papalknights.org.uk/assoc-members.html Association Members] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206024623/http://www.papalknights.org.uk/assoc-members.html |date=2012-02-06 }} -Website of the Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain</ref> [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]], [[FREng]],<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Fellows|url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/people-council-committees/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows|access-date=16 October 2014|archive-date=8 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608094405/http://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/people-council-committees/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[FIMechE]] (23 April 1922 – 12 February 2014)<ref>{{cite news|title=Sir Diarmuid Cbe Frs Downs|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/announcements/deaths/deaths/11017298.Sir_Diarmuid_CBE_FRS_DOWNS/|access-date=19 February 2014|newspaper=The Argus|date=18 February 2012}}</ref> was a British automotive engineer.
 ==Early life==