February 1936: the diesel engine celebrates its premiere in the passenger car

  • The Mercedes-Benz 260 D of 1936 was the first series-production passenger car with a diesel engine
  • Diesel technology at Mercedes-Benz is an almost one hundred year history of innovation
  • Modern car diesel engines are economical, powerful and refined power units
  • BlueTEC and hybrid drive make the diesel an engine technology for the future
Stuttgart – The Mercedes-Benz 260 D in the W 138 series was the world’s first series-production diesel passenger car. In February 1936 – 50 years after the invention of the petrol-powered automobile by Carl Benz – Mercedes-Benz presented this revolutionary vehicle at the International Motorcycle and Automobile Exhibition in Berlin. Its 2.6-litre OM 138 four-cylinder engine with the Mercedes-Benz pre-chamber system and a Bosch injection pump developed 33 kW (45 hp) at 3200 rpm, and was installed in the chassis of the petrol-powered Mercedes-Benz 200 with a long wheelbase. The Bosch Four-plunger injection pump allowed engine speeds of up to 3000 rpm and ensured rapid fuel delivery. Continue reading