SUPERCHARGING
THE ROOTS BLOWER
Philander Higley and Francis Marion Roots patent an air pump for use in industrial blast furnaces
MOTORING ADAPTATIONS
Gottlieb Daimler obtains a German patent to use a Roots-style supercharger on a four-stroke engine
FIRST CENTRIFUGAL SUPERCHARGER
Louis Renault patents a centrifugal supercharger that is driven by a belt attached to the engine
FIRST PRODUCTION CARS
The Mercedes 6/25/40bhp Kompressor is sold as the world’s first supercharged production car
ROLLS-ROYCE MERLIN
The most famous supercharged engine ever? The 27-litre V12 known as the Merlin – yep, the one used in the Spitfire
VAUXHALL VXR8 BATHURST S
With turbos now favoured, Vauxhall reminds us of the supercharger’s brilliance – and its ridiculous noise to match