The CAV name comes from Charles Anthony Vandervell, who founded the business in London in 1904 as a maker of electrical equipment for the early motor industry. The company joined the Lucas organisation in the late 1920s and later applied its precision manufacturing to diesel fuel injection, where it earned its lasting reputation.

CAV Minimec in-line pumps became a common fitment on British-built truck, tractor, marine, and stationary diesel engines, while the compact DPA rotary pump brought reliable distributor-type injection to smaller engines around the world. Generations of mechanics learned CAV pump timing as a basic trade skill, and the hardware is still everywhere in classic diesel machinery.

CAV literature covers pump strip-down and rebuild, phasing and calibration bench figures, governor adjustment, injection timing procedures, nozzle testing and opening pressures, and fault diagnosis for hard starting, smoke, and uneven running. Calibration tables are keyed to pump numbers so a workshop can match the exact build. Seal and repair kits are listed by part number throughout. Timing marks and spill-test methods are described step by step.

Classic tractor and truck restorers, marine engineers, and specialist injection shops are the natural audience. As older engines outlive their parts networks, original CAV data becomes essential for setting fuel systems correctly the first time, and the English-language books served licensees worldwide, which is why they turn up beside engines of many nationalities.