In the 30's, diesel engines were only used for lorrys and other large and heavy vehicles. In Stuttgart, in the house of Daimler-Benz, they set out to change this.
The first experiments however were disapointing. The engineers wanted to implant a 80HP strong six cylinder diesel into the chassis of a limousine. It's vibrations destroyed several chassis.
Without further ado, they cut of two cylinders, so to speak, and creted a new four cylinder diesel engine. This shorter engine had 2.6l capacity and was good for 45HP. The new enginewas strong enough to push the Landaulet, type 230, to 56MPH.
In 1935 170 cars were produced with the new engine. Almost all were used as taxis. Much more successfull than Daimler-Benz thought it would be, it was decided to put the new diesel into production.
In february 1936, the new Mercedes 260 D was presented on the international automobile exhibition in Berlin. This was the birth of the diesel-powered pasenger car.
75 years of noise, vibrations and black smoke.
Since then, the diesel has come a long way. Today's automobile industry is not imaginable without the diesel technologie. and long gone are the days when a diesel was sluggish, noisy and smelly. Audi won the 12h in Sebring with a diesel in 2006, two years after the percentage of newly registered diesel cars in Europe climbed over the 50% mark.
It was another invention, that let the diesel get rid of it's sluggish nature; the turbocharger.
1922 - the first serial produced diesel vehicle, a tractor
1924 - diesel lorry are put into production by MAN, Benz and Daimler
1932 - the strongest diesel lorry is born by MAN with 160 HP
1933 - first diesel passenger car prototype (Citroën Rosalie), with engine by the english Sir Harry Ricardo. Not put into production.
1934 - first Turbodiesel for use by trains by Maybach.
1936 - first serial produced diesel passenger cars by Mercedes-Benz (260 D), Hanomag and Saurer
1936 - Daimler-Benz Zeppelin diesel engine 602/LOF6, for the LZ129 Hindenburg.
1953 - first Turbodiesel for Mercedes fire engines
1954 - first Turbodiesel- trucks by Volvo.
1958 - first OHCdiesel by Daimler-Benz.
1968 - Peugeot introduces the 204, the first compact car with a diesel
1973 - chargecooled diesel by DAF.
1976 - Common-Rail for diesel is invented by ETH Zürich.
1977 - first passenger car with Turbodiesel (Mercedes 300 SD).
1987 - strongest serial produced truck with 460 HP by MAN
1988 - first turbodiesel with direct injection, the Fiat Croma TD I.d. 66 kW (90 PS).
1991 - Turbo-Compound and Euro 1 for a truck engine vby Scania
1993 - unit-injectors by Volvo (for truck engines)
1995 - Unit Pump System by Bosch
1997 - Common Rail system for personal transport by FIAT and Bosch. First turbocharged passenger car engine with direct common-rail injection and variable turbo vanegeometry: Alfa Romeo 156 JTD
2000 - first passenger cars with diesel particle filters by Peugeot (I still remeber the TV spots!)
2004 - the contingent of diesel engines for newly registred cars in Europe exceeds 50%. First non-stop crossing of the Atlantic with a diesel powered airplane; Diamond DA42 TwinStar
2006 - the Audi R10 TDI wins the 12h of Sebring. First overwhelming victory for a diesel powered race car. Followed by another win in the 24h of Le Mans the same year
2008 - Subaru introduces the first flat diesel engine (my parents have on - it's awesome!
). Strongest diesel truck with 680 HP by MAN. Most powerfull serial produced passenger car by Audi, 500 HP.
Strongest marine power plant with 87.220 kW (118.620 HP) is the 14K98MC7 by MAN Diesel SE
So much for the boring part, have some pictures of the fabulous Mercedes 260 D which is still goingstrong today.
And a final one of the second diesel car, the Hanomag Record Diesel:
.
.
.
.
Q7 6.0 V12 TDI
The most BHP per liter for a naturaly aspirated diesel are still claimed by this:
Long live the diseasel! ;D
Cheers,
Jan
The first experiments however were disapointing. The engineers wanted to implant a 80HP strong six cylinder diesel into the chassis of a limousine. It's vibrations destroyed several chassis.
Without further ado, they cut of two cylinders, so to speak, and creted a new four cylinder diesel engine. This shorter engine had 2.6l capacity and was good for 45HP. The new enginewas strong enough to push the Landaulet, type 230, to 56MPH.
In 1935 170 cars were produced with the new engine. Almost all were used as taxis. Much more successfull than Daimler-Benz thought it would be, it was decided to put the new diesel into production.
In february 1936, the new Mercedes 260 D was presented on the international automobile exhibition in Berlin. This was the birth of the diesel-powered pasenger car.
75 years of noise, vibrations and black smoke.
Since then, the diesel has come a long way. Today's automobile industry is not imaginable without the diesel technologie. and long gone are the days when a diesel was sluggish, noisy and smelly. Audi won the 12h in Sebring with a diesel in 2006, two years after the percentage of newly registered diesel cars in Europe climbed over the 50% mark.
It was another invention, that let the diesel get rid of it's sluggish nature; the turbocharger.
1922 - the first serial produced diesel vehicle, a tractor
1924 - diesel lorry are put into production by MAN, Benz and Daimler
1932 - the strongest diesel lorry is born by MAN with 160 HP
1933 - first diesel passenger car prototype (Citroën Rosalie), with engine by the english Sir Harry Ricardo. Not put into production.
1934 - first Turbodiesel for use by trains by Maybach.
1936 - first serial produced diesel passenger cars by Mercedes-Benz (260 D), Hanomag and Saurer
1936 - Daimler-Benz Zeppelin diesel engine 602/LOF6, for the LZ129 Hindenburg.
1953 - first Turbodiesel for Mercedes fire engines
1954 - first Turbodiesel- trucks by Volvo.
1958 - first OHCdiesel by Daimler-Benz.
1968 - Peugeot introduces the 204, the first compact car with a diesel
1973 - chargecooled diesel by DAF.
1976 - Common-Rail for diesel is invented by ETH Zürich.
1977 - first passenger car with Turbodiesel (Mercedes 300 SD).
1987 - strongest serial produced truck with 460 HP by MAN
1988 - first turbodiesel with direct injection, the Fiat Croma TD I.d. 66 kW (90 PS).
1991 - Turbo-Compound and Euro 1 for a truck engine vby Scania
1993 - unit-injectors by Volvo (for truck engines)
1995 - Unit Pump System by Bosch
1997 - Common Rail system for personal transport by FIAT and Bosch. First turbocharged passenger car engine with direct common-rail injection and variable turbo vanegeometry: Alfa Romeo 156 JTD
2000 - first passenger cars with diesel particle filters by Peugeot (I still remeber the TV spots!)
2004 - the contingent of diesel engines for newly registred cars in Europe exceeds 50%. First non-stop crossing of the Atlantic with a diesel powered airplane; Diamond DA42 TwinStar
2006 - the Audi R10 TDI wins the 12h of Sebring. First overwhelming victory for a diesel powered race car. Followed by another win in the 24h of Le Mans the same year
2008 - Subaru introduces the first flat diesel engine (my parents have on - it's awesome!
). Strongest diesel truck with 680 HP by MAN. Most powerfull serial produced passenger car by Audi, 500 HP. Strongest marine power plant with 87.220 kW (118.620 HP) is the 14K98MC7 by MAN Diesel SE
So much for the boring part, have some pictures of the fabulous Mercedes 260 D which is still going
And a final one of the second diesel car, the Hanomag Record Diesel:
.
.
.
.
Q7 6.0 V12 TDI
The most BHP per liter for a naturaly aspirated diesel are still claimed by this:
Long live the diseasel! ;D
Cheers,
Jan
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