Our heroes

Leon Kuźmicki, engineer

A Polish engineer, during the 1930s, he was a lecturer at Warsaw Polytechnics. After WWII broke out he was arrested and deported to Soviet Union. He escaped from the train and managed to get to Great Britain. There, he became technical officer in charge of a Polish RAF squadron`s aircrafts.

At the end of the War, he decided to stay in England. He soon proved to be an outstanding engine specialist. Leon Kuźmicki designed some of the most iconic British engines of the Post-War era. That includes the engine for the racing motorcycle Norton Manx, and another for the ground breaking Vanwall Formula 1 car, which won the Constructor’s Championship in 1958. Later he worked for the Rootes Group, where he designed an excellent lightweight engine for the small family saloon, the Hillman Imp.

 

norton_manx_m30
hillman-imp-2-e1591279388774