Diesel History:

Rudolf Diesel invented the first commercially-successful compression-ignition engine at the end of the 19th century. Compared with the spark ignition engine, the diesel had the advantages of lower fuel consumption, the ability to use cheaper fuel, and the potential for much higher power outputs. Over the following two or three decades, such engines were widely adopted for stationary and marine applications, but the fuel injection systems used were not capable of high-speed operation. This speed limitation and the considerable weight of the air compressor needed to operate the injection equipment, made the first diesel engines unsuitable for use in road-going vehicles.

In the 1920s, the German engineer Robert Bosch developed the in-line injection pump, a device which is still in extensive use today. The use of hydraulic systems to pressurise and inject the fuel did away with the need for a separate air compressor, and made possible much higher operating speeds. The so called ��high-speed�� diesel engine became increasingly popular as a power source for goods and public transport vehicles, but for a number of reasons (including specific power output, flexibility and cheapness of manufacture), the spark-ignition engine continued to dominate the passenger car and light commercial market.

In the 1950s and 60s, diesel engines became increasingly popular for use in taxis and vans, but it was not until the sharp rises in oil prices in the 1970s that serious attention was paid to the small passenger car market. VW��s introduction of the diesel-powered Golf at the end of 1977 marked the arrival of the first ��user-friendly�� diesel car, designed specifically to be acceptable to drivers who would not previously have considered abandoning the petrol engine. The diesel engine fitted to the Golf used indirect injection and a distributor type pump, and was comparable in performance to the smaller petrol engines fitted to the range.

Subsequent years have seen the growing popularity of the small diesel engine in cars, 4WD��s and light commercial vehicles, not only for reasons of fuel economy and longevity, but also for environmental reasons. Every major European car manufacturer now offers at least one diesel-engined model. The diesel��s growth in the Australian market has been relatively slow (due in part to the lack of any considerable fuel price differential in favour of diesel which exists in other parts of the world), but it has now gained widespread acceptance, and this trend looks set to continue.