WE HAVE IGNITION!

WHILE YOUR SPARK PLUGS AREN'T PART OF MUSCLE-CAR BRAGGING RIGHTS, YOU WOULDN'T FLEX MUCH MUSCLE WITHOUT THEM

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WHO KNEW that today’s top-fuel dragster engines totally consume their spark-plug electrodes during each crazy sub-four-second run? Stumbling over that startling spark-plug snippet prompted this look at that humble engine component.

While the everyday long-suffering spark plug isn't exposed to destructive forces near the scale of those in top-fuel drag-racing engines, its role of reliably lighting the fire in conventional petrol engines isn’t all beer and skittles. Even doing family-car duty requires plugs to keep their metal electrodes and ceramic insulators more or less intact and functional for 20,000km or more under quite harsh conditions.

Although the spark plug hardly shares centre-stage with sexier stuff like forced-induction, variable cam-timing, ABS systems and the like, a look at its history uncovers some surprisingly colourful chapters and individuals.

It was Robert Bosch engineer Gottlob Honold who improved on early designs and by 1902 had developed versions that pretty much resemble the spark plugs we have been familiar with for many decades. Names on early spark-plug patents include period electricity A-listers like Tesla and Edison - I can recall replacing Edison-branded plugs in either a Model T Ford or an old Harley-Davidson. I wish I had kept one...