Last year I went to the Festival of Speed at Goodwood and there were dozens of British-made cars.

It was a thrill to see the Alvises, Rileys, Allards, MGs, Triumphs and a host of others.

Numerous vehicles were on display and some were doing their stuff on the circuit. Today our last major British manufacturer is MG Rover.

Where have our automotive engineers gone? Well I have some good news. At the bottom of Mill Hill, near the old toll bridge adjacent to Shoreham airport, there is a leading engineering technology provider, undertaking research and development for the world's leading manufacturers.

Ricardo at Bridge Works is a thriving business. The company employs more than 1,300 people, 70 per cent highly-qualified graduate engineers and technicians. The company offers a world-wide service from its offices in the UK, United States and Germany.

It recently developed a new engine for General Motors and undertakes vehicle calibration for a wide range of customers, including Renault. It was involved in building an advanced technology demonstration engine for Visteon and is working with with BMW on the Mini.

The story of Audi's bid to win the famous 24-hour Le Mans race illustrates Ricardo's versatility. The company was selected as the technical partner for the transmission system. Transmission is one of the most critical systems for sports car racing. It is extremely complex but must be lightweight and reliable.

Ricardo began work in September 1999. By December 21, the first car was rolled out in front of the Audi directors. Sixteen weeks after laying out the first transmission design, Ricardo engineers and the Audi Sports team watched the car navigating a wintry test circuit, following a racing line cut through 50mm of snow. The end result was a first, second and third at the June 2000 Le Mans followed by another first and second at this year's race.

There have been huge changes in the automotive industry and mergers in North America and Europe have tended to reduce the number of customers for Ricardo. But the company is planning for the future.

It is forging new links with car companies in all parts of the world. Investment during the last year has been at record levels with four new engine test cells in Detroit to support a major customer and two new state-of-the-art transmission test cells in the Midlands. New offices are being opened in Germany and one in Prague.

Ricardo is a truly international business.