Classic Cars by Bob Gelber

In Praise of Diesel

I have a conspiracy theory regarding the lack of development and use of diesel engines in American cars, but first let's go back a little over one hundred years in history. At the dawn of the motorcar age, a bright young Bavarian fellow, Rudolf Diesel, filed a patent for his new invention, which he proudly called the diesel engine. During the engine's development, Rudolf was almost killed when one of the engines exploded, but he persisted and was the first to prove that fuel could be ignited by utilizing the extremely high compression of air and did not need an electrical spark like the other internal compression engines of the time. In 1898 he was granted a patent for his revolutionary engine.

Rudolf Diesel became a millionaire, and during his lifetime saw his engine concept used in every form of transportation. My conspiracy theory begins as far back as 1913, the year Rudolf Diesel's life ended when he mysteriously disappeared from a ship that was heading to England where he was to discuss further use of his engine design with various manufacturers. His death remains a mystery to this day. Is this where the conspiracy began?

Fast forward to the present. My own experience with diesel engines is both good and bad. Years ago, the only diesel cars I had any experience with were the amazingly sluggish 1980s Mercedes Benz diesel models, the 240 and 300D series of sedans. They were as strong as tanks, but unfortunately, they were as slow as tanks. They were terrifically noisy at idle when cold, but quieted down somewhat when they warmed up. All in all, I always found their behavior as automobiles very un-Mercedes like. As we all know, during that period, virtually every taxicab in Europe was a Mercedes 240 diesel four door. They were known for their 500,000-mile longevity and frugal fuel consumption. Note: The newly designed diesel engines of today are much more powerful and civilized.

My other experience with a diesel engine is quite personal, because I use it as an auxiliary engine in my 1984 sailboat. I love this engine. It's a little three cylinder Japanese made Yanmar. Nothing ever goes wrong with it. It's 24 years old, has only 27 horsepower, burns no oil, starts every time and runs like a Swiss, er, Japanese, er, Bavarian watch. Also, let me tell you a little secret, most sailors of larger boats are very dependent on motors. Even though my boat is powered by the wind, I really can't do without that little Yanmar. I can't even get in and out of the dock without it. By the way, the Yanmar engine has become the gold standard of diesel engines for sailboats. It seems virtually every sailboat made in the world is powered by a Yanmar diesel.

Speaking of diesel and boats, did you know that all United States naval vessels, if not atomic powered, are diesel powered? In fact, virtually every boat in the world over, say, fifty feet, is diesel powered. Every large truck, every locomotive and many electrical plants are diesel powered. Obviously, there are applications to be gleaned from this century-old invention.

There are really two very important advantages to the diesel engine - longevity and fuel consumption. Most diesel engines are more heavily built than their gasoline engine counterparts. They have to be in order to withstand the internal stresses of high compression. They are frugal because diesel engines are much more efficient than their gasoline counterparts, and diesel fuel produces more BTU power than gasoline. Add the fact that they are stronger built engines, and you have an engine that, traditionally, has a longer life. The little Yanmar has a lifespan of 10,000 hours, which translates to 500,000 car miles. Most large new diesel truck engines have a warranty life of 500,000 miles, some even a million.

So where are the diesel cars in America? Why are none even being planned? They are certainly simpler cars than the overly complicated hybrids that are being hyped to the public. Only a few from Volkswagen and Mercedes are in the marketplace. There are none from an American carmaker. Ah ha, now here's my conspiracy theory. Big business - meaning the fuel companies, car companies and insurance companies - don't want them here. The big three auto makers don't want them because they would have to gear up to make those expensive engines that might last too long. The oil companies are against them because most of their gas stations don't have the extra fuel tanks for storage, plus they do not have the refining capacity to produce large amounts of diesel fuel. Insurance companies are against them because it would probably mean smaller cars, better fuel mileage and more driving, possibly leading to more insurance claims.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Rumor has it that next year Honda and Subaru will be bringing excellent two liter diesel engines to the U.S. for some of their models. My idea for a real 75-mile per gallon car would be a small lightweight car with a supercharged three-cylinder diesel engine of about 750cc mated to a small electric motor. This hybrid vehicle could produce about 125 horsepower, enough to accelerate with any traffic and reach one hundred miles per hour. What more do you need? Fifty percent of vehicles sold in all of Europe are diesels. Seventy percent of vehicles on the autoroutes of France are diesels. My wife remarked, after reading this article, that some dark dawn I might find an engine in our bed.

Bob Gelber, an automotive journalist living in the Hamptons, appears regularly on television as an automotive expert. You can email him at bobgelber@aol.com

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