The modern, small, high-speed, 4-stroke diesel engine above all owes its development of today’s speeds of 4500 rpm to the objective of making it applicable to the passenger car.
In 1936 Daimler-Benz was one of the first companies to bring out a passenger car equipped with a diesel engine. Its 4-cyl, 4-stroke engine with a displacement of 2.6 liter delivered 45 bhp at a speed of 3500 rpm, which was considered remarkably high at that time. This first diesel-engine-powered passenger car was so well accepted that after World War II a special development program was started, which in the last few years has led to production diesel engines with a top speed of 4500 rpm.
The great popularity of the diesel-engine-powered passenger car in Europe reflects the fact that, in the last few years, of the total Daimler-Benz passenger car production over one-third were diesels; and also that other countries, particularly in Europe, started production of high-speed diesel engines for passenger cars and pickups. It should also be mentioned that diesel engines of this size, because of their good economy and proved reliability, are also used as industrial engines. They have, by now, reached remarkably high production figures.