Smiths vs. Lucas

CAI is around

http://www.caigauge.com

Not likely William.
Here is some interesting trivia about Smiths scrounged up on the internet. It's probably more than anybody wanted to know, but...

The company was founded by Samuel Smith in London in 1851 as a clock and watch business.[1] At the start of the 20th century, the age of the early automobiles, the Company produced the first British odometer ("mileometer") and speedometer.[1] In the 1930s Smiths agreed a trading deal with Lucas whereby the two would not compete in certain areas and Lucas took on part of Smiths non-instrumentation assets. Smiths became the dominant supplier of instruments to British motorcar and motorcycle firms. From 1915 Smiths had a factory at Cricklewood, north London and later moved their Headquarters there. Cricklewood remained the company's most important manufacturing site into the 1970s, employing 8,000.

Separate Smiths Aviation and Smiths Marine divisions were setup in 1958.[1] In 1960, an Industrial division was formed whose main operations were industrial instrumentation.[1] With increasing diversification and international operations the name Smiths Industries Ltd. was adopted in 1965. Clocks, watches, and automotive instruments eventually ceased to be significant markets for Smiths,[1] and by the 1980s, the automotive instrument division had been sold,[1] first to VDO, and eventually to the factory employees. The new company, Caerbont Automotive Instruments, continues to produce classic Smiths-branded instruments with the blessing of Smiths Group plc. In 1983 the original equipment and service part of the car instrument side was sold to Lucas in Birmingham and a small number of employees transferred to the Midlands.

On 4 December 2000 Smiths completed a merger with TI Group. TI had major interests in aerospace, industrial seals and automotive parts. [2] The company's name was changed to Smiths Group plc on 30 November 2000.

Cheaper!