"The JCB444 engine lies at the very heart of this exciting and challenging project. It is, without question, its raison d'etre." - Sir Anthony Bamford

When JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford took the decision for the company to build its own powerplant, industry rivals suggested that it could never be feasible economically - that it could only work if upwards of 100,000 units were manufactured each year, well above JCB’s 30,000 to 40,000 requirement. Undaunted, JCB went ahead and the JCB444 engine has been one of the most significant success stories in the company’s history, and in the annals of British engineering.