Information Density: Caerbont Automotive Instruments | Smiths Instruments – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

[H1] Caerbont Automotive Instruments | Manufacturers of Smiths Instruments

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[IMG: Smiths Instruments Aston Martin DB5 time clock]

Aston Martin Classic and Heritage gauges
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GT40 New and Original Gauges
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Bespoke, Premium Gauges
bespoke design and manufacturing service for your specialist project. You imagine, we design.
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Classically designed, Instrumentally British
The Original SMITHS instruments and our collection of heritage gauges from CAI. Includes TVR, Porsche, VW and more.
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[H2] Our Projects

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[H3] Automotive
Gauges, Senders and Systems Designed and Manufactured for Niche Vehicle Manufacturers.

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[H3] Motorcycles
Bespoke Instrument Design and Manufacture of new and heritage products.

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[H3] Marine
Bespoke Round Gauge solutions for the specialist boat builder.

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[H3] Industrial
Gauges for displaying pressure, vacuum and temperature and a bespoke design service.

[H2] Our product range

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[IMG: Volkswagen Beetle]

[H3] Volkswagen
Volkswagen
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[IMG: TVR Chimaera]

[H3] TVR
TVR
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[IMG: Triumph Spitfire]

[H3] Triumph
Triumph
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[IMG: Sender Units]

[H3] Sender Units
Sender Units
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[IMG: Porsche 911]

[H3] Porsche
Porsche
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[IMG: Motorsport Gauges]

[H3] Motorsport
Vintage Motorsport Racing Gauges from CAI
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[IMG: Gauges for Motorcycles]

[H3] Motorcycles
Classic and Vintage Motorcycles Gauges for Iconic motorcycles
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[IMG: Mini Cooper]

[H3] Mini
Classic Smiths gauges for the original British Mini
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[IMG: Lotus Cortina]

[H3] Lotus
Classic and vintage gauges from CAI for the Lotus Cortina, Elan, Elite, Esprit and Europa sports car.
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[IMG: Land Rover Defender 90-110]

[H3] Land Rover
Elevate your off-road adventure with timeless, classic, vintage Land Rover gauges
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[IMG: Jaguar XKSS]

[H3] Jaguar
Classic and vintage Jaguar gauges from CAI
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[IMG: International]

[H3] International
CAI designed international gauges with continental styling, aimed at the classic and retro vehicle of the 1980s.
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[IMG: Dual Gauges]

[H3] Dual Gauges
Smiths Classic Dual Gauges
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[IMG: Classic Gauges]

[H3] Classic
Timeless Elegance Redefined: Classic Smiths Gauges
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[IMG: Cobra black new]

[H3] Cobra
Elevate Power and Style with CAI's range of Cobra Gauges
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[IMG: Austin Healey 3000]

[H3] Austin Healey
Unveil Luxury with Austin Healey Bespoke Gauges.
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[IMG: MGB]

[H3] MG
Heritage Smiths Classic Gauges from CAI for the MG Midget, MGA, MGB, GT V8 and MGC
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[IMG: GT40 Original]

[H3] GT40
GT40 Classic & Original New Gauges: Timeless Heritage, Modern Precision
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[IMG: Aston Martin DB4GT]

[H3] Aston Martin
Aston Martin Bespoke Vintage Instruments & Gauges
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[H2] About us

Our expertise in gauge design and investment in innovative technologies has placed us at the forefront as manufacturers of premium bespoke gauges

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[H3] 1851

[IMG: Samuel Smith Senior]

[H4] Samuel Smith Senior
Trained craftsman and jeweller, Samuel Smith opened his first shop in Newington Causeway in London in 1851. A family business, it was founded as 'S. Smith and Son'.

[H3] 1871

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[H4] Samuel Smith & Son
With growing demand, Samuel Smith (Junior) opened larger premises on The Strand, London and later, shops in Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square.

[H3] 1900

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[H4] The first speedometer
By the start of the 20th century and the age of the automobile, SMITHS had produced the first British speedometer and odometer ("mileometer").

[H3] 1904

[IMG: timeline image 1904]

[H4] King Edward VII
In 1904 the first Royal connection to SMITHS was established when King Edward VII asked Gordon Smith for a device to measure the travelling speed of his car. SMITHS historical records include a ledger of speedometer orders, the first of which has, as entry No. 1, 'H. M. The King, Buckingham Palace'.

[H3] 1914

[IMG: timeline image 1914]

[H4] Smiths Motor Accessories
In 1914 the public company S. Smith and Sons (Motor Accessories) Ltd was formed, manufacturing automotive speedometers, carburettors, and other motor accessories, with turnover exceeding £100,000.

[H3] 1915

[IMG: timeline image 1915]

[H4] New factory built at Cricklewood, London
A new factory at Cricklewood, North-East London was built engaged in the manufacture of speedometers and employed 400 persons. The employees soon increased to 2,000 and they also made aircraft instruments and shell fuses for war time contracts.

[H3] 1927

[IMG: timeline image 1927]

[H4] British Jaeger Instruments
Smiths purchased 75 per cent of Ed. Jaeger (London) Ltd in 1927 which later became the British Jaeger Instrument Company.

[H3] 1930

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[H4] Smiths Automotive and Joseph Lucas
In 1930 SMITHS agreed a trading deal with Joseph Lucas Ltd. The mutual agreement meant the two would not compete in certain areas. Lucas continued to market a portion of the non-instrumentation SMITHS assets, and SMITHS became the dominant supplier of instruments to British motorcar and motorcycle firms.

[H3] 1931

[IMG: timeline image 1931]

[H4] Smiths enter domestic clock market
1931 S. Smith and Sons (Motor Accessories) Ltd, entered the domestic clock market and formed a new company, 'Smiths English Clocks', The Clock and Watch division of S. Smith and Sons (Motor Accessories) Ltd, continued to manufactured from the main factory at Cricklewood. Smiths became one of the first British manufacturers to produce synchronous electric clocks.

[H3] 1932

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[H4] SMITHS purchase English Clock and Watch Manufacturers of Coventry
In 1932 Smiths purchased English Clock and Watch Manufacturer of Coventry and acquired the trade names Astral and Empire.

[H3] 1933

[IMG: timeline image 1933]

[H4] LUCAS acquire North and Sons instrumentation Business
By 1933 Lucas had purchased North and Sons Ltd., a leading manufacturer of magneto, speedometers and other motor instruments. Lucas retained the magneto business whilst SMITHS concentrated on the speedometer and instrumentation business.

[H3] 1934

[IMG: timeline image 1934]

[H4] Smiths acquire the Enfield Clock Co.
In 1934, Smiths bought the Enfield Clock Co; The shareholders were bought out, but SMITHS allowed the directors to remain and the company continued production from its premises at Pretoria Road, Edmonton. Due to low volumes, however SMITHS allowed Enfield to continue to trade independently.

[H3] 1935

[IMG: timeline image 1935]

[H4] SMITHS Acquire Henry Hughes and Son
In 1935 SMITHS Acquired 'Henry Hughes and Son'; marine gauge manufacturers which specialised in navigation instruments and appliances for the British Navy.

[H3] 1939

[IMG: timeline image 1939]

[H4] New site at Bishop's Cleeve
In 1939 Ralph Gordon-Smith, arranged the purchase of new 300 acre site, Kayte Farm at Bishop's Cleeve, Cheltenham to protect the business from potential bombing in the London area. On 1st June S. Smith and Sons (Cheltenham) Ltd was formed as a subsidiary of the main business.

[H3] 1940

[IMG: timeline image 1940]

[H4] Bombs destroy Cricklewood site.
By August 1940 the main instrument repair department at Cricklewood was destroyed by bombing. As a consequence of the war, demand for motor, aircraft and marine instruments for the Services surged and the production of industrial instruments, hitherto imported, was begun. Fuses for shells were also manufactured.

[H3] 1944

[IMG: timeline image 1944]

[H4] S. Smith and Sons (England) formed
By 1944 a major regrouping of the whole SMITHS organisation was carried out. The name of the principal company was changed to S. Smith and Sons (England) Ltd with four divisions: 'Smiths Motor Accessories'; 'Smiths Industrial Instruments'; 'Smiths Aircraft Instruments' and 'Smiths English Clocks'.

[H3] 1947

[IMG: timeline image 1947]

[H4] Anglo-Celtic Watch Factory Ystradgynlais
Opened on March 15th, 1947, by Huw Dalton, a British Labour Party economist and politician, the Smiths Industries site was engaged in the manufacture of clocks and watches. The factory was 100,000 sq. ft. in area and divided into two main sections: one for manufacturing, design and technical services, and the other for watch assembly. It eventually became known locally as "tick-tock".

[H3] 1964

[IMG: timeline image 1964]

[H4] 1964 SMITHS group expansions.
The company continued to grow exponentially with 17,000 employees. By the start of the 60's separate 'Smiths Aviation' and 'Smiths Marine divisions' were formed as well as an industrial instrumentation division. By 1964 the SMITHS group employed over 25,000 in 27 factories in the UK.

[H3] 1965

[IMG: timeline image 1965]

[H4] Smiths Industries is formed
By 1965 the Smiths business had become increasingly diluted. As such the name 'Smiths Industries' was adopted to reflect it's wider operations. The clock and watch business had now declined and Smiths ceased to be the direct supplier of motor equipment to European car manufacturers.

[H3] 1968

[IMG: timeline image 1968]

[H4] 1968 Queen's Award to Industry for Technological Innovation.
In 1968 SMITHS received the Queen's Award to Industry for its contribution to UK Technological Innovation.

[H3] 1974

[IMG: timeline image 1974]

[H4] Legislation of commercial vehicles
The production of the SMITHS tachograph increased from 400 units to 4000 units per month, owing largely to new legislation, which meant by 1978 all commercial vehicles must be fitted with tachographs. By now volume orders were being received from British Leyland, Ford and more.

[H3] 1979

[IMG: timeline image 1979]

[H4] 1979 Restructuring and reorganisation of the motor vehicle component businesses
By 1979 due to a decline in demand, a proposal was made to restructure and reorganise the motor vehicle component businesses and by 1981, a further reorganisation of the motor marine business followed.

[H3] 1984

[IMG: timeline image 1984]

[H4] Anglo Celtic & Lucas
The automotive instrumentation business was sold to Lucas. Lucas introduced wiring harness manufacture to the Ystradgynlais factory and become the largest employer in the area, employing a local workforce of over 2000.

[H3] 1989

[IMG: timeline image 1989]

[H4] Transfer of Instrumentation business to Caerbont, Abercrave
In 1989 Lucas transferred its instrumentation business to the Caerbont facility in neighbouring Abercrave but retained manufacture of its wiring and harness business at Ystradgynlais.

[H3] 1991

[IMG: timeline image 1991]

[H4] VDO Instruments
LUCAS decided to withdraw from the instrumentation market to concentrate solely on its wiring and harness manufacture. The business was sold to German company Mannesmann VDO AG and was managed by its parent UK company VDO Birmingham.

[H3] 1993

[IMG: timeline image 1993]

[H4] Independent business Caerbont Automotive is formed
In 1993 the management purchased the business from Mannesmann VDO AG and renamed it Caerbont Automotive Instruments Ltd. The business continued to supply to mass markets although by now the direction was evolving more into bespoke and heritage markets.

[H3] 2011

[IMG: timeline image 2011]

[H4] Transfer of Business to new Management
By 2011 ownership transferred to the present MD Gavin Roberts. The business retained its name and continued to supply SMITHS gauges. Today, the business has evolved into new markets such as bespoke marine and automotive instrumentation but also continues to supply heritage gauges to high profile prestige marques like Jaguar and Aston Martin.

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[H2] News & Blogs

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[IMG: Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026]

4th Jun 2026
[H3] Smiths at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

[IMG: Roll-Royce 10hp]

18th May 2026
[H3] 10 Top Smiths Speedometer Customers 1904-1905

[IMG: The Mini MkII Transition]

14th Apr 2026
[H3] The Mini MkII Transition

[IMG: Smiths Celebrates 175 Years]

24th Mar 2026
[H3] Smiths Celebrates 175 Years

[IMG: Jaguar S-Type]

25th Feb 2026
[H3] The Classic Jaguar S-Type

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[H1] About Us

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[H1] Aston Martin
Aston Martin Bespoke Vintage Instruments & Gauges