1960s

1960: The diesel drive displaced steam turbines and coal fired steam engines.
1962–65: A diesel compression braking system, eventually to be manufactured by Jacobs (of drill chuck fame) and nicknamed the "Jake Brake", was invented and patented by Clessie Cummins.[24]
1968: Peugeot introduced the first 204 small cars with a transversally mounted diesel engine and front-wheel drive.
1970s

1973: DAF produced an air-cooled diesel engine.
1976 February: Tested a diesel engine for the Volkswagen Golf passenger car. The Cummins Common Rail injection system was further developed by the ETH Zurich from 1976 to 1992.
1978: Mercedes-Benz produced the first passenger car with a turbo-diesel engine (Mercedes-Benz 300 SD).[21] Oldsmobile introduced the first passenger car diesel engine produced by an American car company.
1979: Peugeot 604, the first turbo-diesel car to be sold in Europe.[25]