Here’s a question that may well be impossible to answer, due to the numerous gray areas involved. Sure, we could set all kinds of limitations (e.g., “production run” applies only to engines built by the original manufacturer) and of course you stumble into the quagmire of defining when changes to an engine design become significant enough to result in a different engine… but why should we do that?
No, this discussion will bring a lot more single-interest zealots out of the woodwork be more spirited if we set only one limitation: the engine must have been installed by a manufacturer in cars or light trucks at some point during its history. That means no Cox .049s or Detroit Diesel Series 71s, but we will include engines that were built for use in industrial applications for years after their motor-vehicle days were done (e.g., Chrysler flathead six), engines built by aftermarket manufacturers (e.g., Volkswagen air-cooled), crate motors made by OEMs (e.g., Chevrolet small- and big-block V8s), engines built under crazy multiple-handoff licensing arrangements (e.g. flathead Fords in France), and engines that are now being counterfeited in vast quantities in China (e.g., probably every postwar Japanese design in history). So, experts, which engine wins, and why?
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Well, for the first and soon to no doubt be proven wrong post, I will suggest the Ford “Truck Six.”
Production started in 1965 and continues to this day (Although Ford stopped putting it in trucks in 97), with the mighty 300 (Still the best damn motor Ford ever made) seeing service in airport baggage haulers, UPS trucks, chair lifts and even industrial wood chippers.
Is that the in-line six with four timing gears instead of two gears and a chain?
Years ago my mom had an old F series truck with one of those engines. A torquey mo’.
I think those were the ones, yes. The 240 wasn’t that long lived, but the 300 lasted forever, and it was an absolute torque monster. Dyno testing shows it made more torque than the 5.0 and 4.6l V8s, but was intentionally underrated to protect them.
Hell of a motor. I had a 93 F-150 that I bought for a song from the local mining company, and despite it’s hard life, I put 200k on it with nothing but a few alternators and a replacement of the clip that connected the 4WD lever to the transfer case. That truck had the heaviest rear end, the heavy duty suspension, heavy duty transmission, manual locking hubs and no power options. It could haul anything, and it’s miner engineered angle iron bumpers made it immune to any sort of cosmetic damage. The old Ford’s battle bumpers once totaled a brand new Mercedes that had the tenacity to rear end it. Never left me stranded, never got less than 25MPG highway. I eventually sold it, and as far as I know it’s still on the road, front bumper sagging (Even stock ones did this, thanks to Ford’s weak clips) and it’s blue vinyl interior reduced to shreds.
I really wish someone would make a truck like that again.
A most glorious engine. We had a F100 with the battery out (hence inoperable and sans-insurance) sitting in the side yard for about five years until the neighbors started getting uppity. Dropped in a battery, pulled the valve cover and poured oil all over the empty engine, started on the first crank and was happy until we sold it. God bless you, 300 straight six.
I understand George Stirrat was a principal designer at Ford with the 300-I6, and was also responsible for the small block Ford V8 too.
I would suggest the Continental flat head I4. I’m sure still in production somewhere.
I would also commend the designers of the Taunus/Cologne V6 – that design went from a 1.2L OHV V4 to a 4.0L SOHC V6.
Plus I love the sound of the Miller/Goosen/Offenhauser I4. Quite a legacy.
My all time favourite though, is the Buick (Fireball) V6. It must the very definition of mechanical evolution – 1961-2008.
Ford quit selling the 300 for industrial applications around 1999 or so. I worked at a place that made the baggage tractors and we had to redesign them for the Essex V-6 I think it was, I quit before it got very far.
It’s gonna have to be a diesel then. Even after it’s long gone from the road, something that will be installed into gensets, boats and industrial machinery would work.
How about the Cummins 59R?
Perkins were under so many licences, I’m sure their still in production too.
And since we’re including industrials; might I suggest a nice Coventry Climax?
I’d guess the Volkswagen air cooled flat Four (1936-2006) has probably one of the longest, if not the longest production runs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_air_cooled_engine
http://www.aircooledvwaddiction.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=95
The small block Chevy V8 was introduced 19 years after the VW four, but it’s still being produced as a marine engine by Mercury Marine. And before anyone asks, the LS is a clean sheet design.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_LS_engine
Haven’t they adapted the boxer as an airplane engine? If so, that should mean it’s still in production.
Porsche air-cooled endine was installed on Mooneys, but they switched away from it long time ago.
Airplane applications are nasty. An airplane engine runs at 75% power for its whole service life and automotive boxer engines just weren’t up to it. The guy who adapted Subaru boxers to airplanes threw in the towel and switched to adapting the conventional Honda Fit engines last year. Apparently the little buggers have the unusual margins.
VW conversions are still somewhat common in the small homebuilt/experimental segment. The Sonex AeroVee comes to mind.
http://www.aeroconversions.com/
Actually the pre-LS Chevy small block is still being made in Mexico for GM Goodwrench crate motors too.
How about the Evans VP1 aka. Volksplane, which uses a 1500-1600 VW air cooled modified engine…
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/kitspages/volksplanes.php
http://www.evansair.com/engine.htm
IIRC the Air cooled engine can still be ordered from VW as an industrial motor, for generators water pumps etc.
Saludos
@ ‘Pete Zaicev’-
AFAIK Eggenfellner is still producing his E6 Subaru motors, and has dropped development on the Honda-at least, there’s no longer any info on his website about the Honda.
He <i>did</i> drop the STi Subaru four banger a few years ago, leaving many owners to deal with the fiasco on their own after spending as much as 40k, and then switched to the 6 cyl subie. Caveat Emptor.
My guess: Some Lycoming engine will win.
Lycoming sold many of their air-cooled 4 and 6 cylinder endings to car manufacturers in the 1910’s – and subsequently to the aviation industry where their designs have basically stayed the same all these years. Aviation engine technology changes so slowly that carburetors are still the norm.
You’re thinking what I was thinking. I couldn’t find an example of a Lycoming engine in a production car though. The O320 and O360 which are still in use today were later arrivals compared to 1910. I was thinking the O290 would be the candidate since I know it was used in generators too. No luck finding an example in a car but it came out in 1939 according to Wikipedia which was earlier than the 320 and 360.
My contribution is the Franklin engine though. That design from the 1920s/1930s was used on Franklin cars and according to Wikipedia Franklins engines are still in production today for aircraft use. Supposedly a Tucker used a Franklin aircraft engine. The thing I don’t know conclusively is whether the 1920s/30s Franklin engine is the “same” as the current one.
Stickman, it looks like the O290 wound up in the Aerocar :)
I think we’ll have better luck looking at your Franklins – Lycoming engines from the 1935 and onward seem to be quite different than the earlier ones and from the rest of the posts it looks like we’ll have to find something earlier than the late 1920’s to beat Chevy’s inline 6.
I’m not sure Franklin can beat that. Didn’t know enough to think about the Aerocar, that’s a good find.
Lot’s of good information on piston airplane engines:
http://home.comcast.net/~aeroengine/
E. L. Cord owned Lycoming back in the 1930’s as part of him empire, and I’m fairly certain that most straight-8 Auburn’s used Lycoming engines. Which should give a tie-in toward cars.
Lycoming flathead V8s were used in the FWD Cords.
We had one in the shop I worked in, and that is singlehandedly the quietest and smoothest-idling engine of any type old or new I have ever witnessed. It didn’t seem any louder than dragging your hand across a piece of carpet. Fffffffffffff is all you heard, and that was with the hood up standing right there.
Whether it was a longlived engine is another issue…
What about the Wankel rotary engine? Wasn’t some variation used in Japanese warplanes in WW2?
Never mind, the Wankel rotary wasn’t designed until the late 50s… but still, it’s been in production for over 50 years
@lprocter: I think you may be confusing aviation rotary engines (which are piston driven, but rotary arranged) with Dr. Wankel’s rotary engine for automotive applications. He did start initial conceptual work on the rotary engine in the 1930’s, IIRC.
Completely off-topic – I remember spending a few hours with a service manual for a late generation Curtis Wright rotary engine mechanics manual. The turbocharging was extremely interesting….
And down the road from my office is an aviation museum that has an AN-2 – the worlds largest biplane, powered by the commie copy of a CW engine but only making 1000hp or so, IIRC. Nicknamed the Kolkholznik, or collective farmer, the thing is old pickup truck durable. Can’t see the ground for fog – no problemo! Stall it and it will still fly at 20 mph until it hits the ground or something similar – mostly a survivable crash.
Speaking of aero conversions, a RX7 tuner and specialist in this area now specializes in adapting Mazda rotary engines for aircraft use. Google Atkins Rotary if you’re curious. (My earthbound RX7 has an Atkins-rebuilt engine.)
The Chevy Small-block is still in wide production for marine applications. Look at the Mercury Marine website and you’ll see most of them are still there, the 350, 305 and the 4.3 V-6 figure prominently. The Iron Duke is also there as is the Big-block. Pretty tough and now at 55 years for the Small-block.
The Iron Duke was NEVER a marine engine, it is a Pontiac engine. The marine GM 4cyls are CHEVROLET engines, offshoots of the Chevy II engines. And If I hear these called Iron Duke again, I’m gonna spray lead…..sick of the GM ignorance
Does “longest production run” mean time in production or number of engines produced?
UK “A-series”
VW air-cooled four
Has to be the Volkswagen aircooled Type 1 engine. Production traces back to the late 30’s and replacements are still available from Volkswagen in Mexico and Brazil.
I gotta believe the VW flat four is the one.
Datsun/Nissan built a much modified version of the A-series. I believe its still in production for fork lift duty.
The A-series lasted from 1951 to 2000, which is pretty good…
I wish it where something like the BMW/Bristol inline six from 1936-1961 but I’m betting the VW flat four is going to be hard to beat here.
Buick 215/Rover V8?
I agree. I think the winner is the buick 215 V8 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V8_engine#215) which later became the rover V8 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_V8_engine)
And the cast iron version with two less cylinders became the Buick 198 and 225 V6, then Jeep 225 V6 and Buick 231 V6 again!
And another evolution of the 215 was the Buick 300 with a cast iron block and aluminium heads/intake in 1964 and with a cast iron intake and heads in 1965-67, the 1966-67 340 and, to some extent, every Buick V8 engine designed since.
The Rover V8 is actually still in (limited) production for various shed-built sports cars and as replacements for Land Rovers.
Does Vulcan 3.0L V6 that Ford used in the Ranger and Taurus (and Tempo?) at least make it in the top 10?
The Vulcan had a good run (22 years), but there are a lot of Ford engines that beat it. The Falcon six’s descendants were built in Australia 40 years after it began production. The Windsor V8 first came out in 1962, and is still being built as a crate engine. The Cologne V6 first came out in the mid 60’s, and is still being built for the Ranger (with overhead cams). The big-block 429/460 engine was built from 1968 through the 1990’s. The Pinto engine lasted from 1970 – 2001.
NO!
AMC Inline six, Mid sixties to 2006 probably a lot of engines in that same frame.
I believe the AMC inline 6 is still in production for use in in Chinese-assembled Jeep Cherokees.
You can also still buy the 4.0 from Mopar, or a new 4.7 liter “stroker” that delivers around 265 hp.
I was hoping someone would post this engine. Not only did it stay in production for a long time, it also was one of the most durable engines ever made. In the AMCs the whole car would be falling apart but the engine wouldn’t die. I think it’s one of the great engines of all times.
From the 232 of 1964 to the 4.0 l Jeep. These are great engines!
The better question might be, what engine overstayed it’s welcome.
Chrysler 2.7L V6. It was a POS when it came out in 1998, and it should’ve been put down right then and there. I would say GM 3.8L V6, but that was reliable if nothing else.
I read Scottie’s question and the 3.8 came to mind as well.
I would say GM 3.8L V6, but that was reliable if nothing else.
&
I read Scottie’s question and the 3.8 came to mind as well.
Hell no! Have you driven the current 3500 or 3.0L SIDI? The 3800 went out too soon.
I read Scottie’s question and the 3.8 came to mind as well.
Hey, hey, hey! Let’s not be too harsh here. At least the 3.8 provided HP and torque levels comparable with what GM was able to wring out of a small passenger car V8 at the time. My 1987 Olds 307V8 made about 140hp and about 250+lb feet of torque but was handicapped by the E-Quadrajet carb that needed to be rebuilt every 50,000 miles. The FWD fuel injected 3800 made similar power in a much more modern and reliable package.
After buying that Oldsmobile (used) my father got a chance in 1994 to drive his buddies brand new Park Avenue Ultra with the supercharged 3.8. Half way through the test drive put the car in park and got out after pulling the hood release lever. His buddy asked if anything was wrong. My father’s response? “I’m looking for the small block V8 cause their ain’t no way that there’s a V6 under that hood.” The next used car my dad bought? 1993 Pontiac Bonneville with a naturally aspirated 3.8V6, he still talks about what a good car that was.
Customers loved it, why shouldn’t GM have kept building one of the engines that they actually had “figured out?”
Agreed, Dan. The 3800 was a fine engine for which there is currently no adequate replacement. IME it’s not unusual for a 3800 to keep going for well over 200k miles. I only wish the rest of my old Lesabre was as good as that engine…
The BMW 3.0 liter turbo inline six, which is besotted with high pressure fuel pump issues is my nominee for an engine that’s overstayed its welcome. Why BMW didn’t just bore or stroke their excellent inline Six from 3.0 to 3.5 liters to keep pace with the IS350 and G35/G37 instead of installing a Mickey Mouse forced induction system is beyond me.
Was the 3800 in continuous production? GM had to buy back the tooling from AMC who’d bought it from GM when they abandoned V6s back in the 60s, but I’m not sure the engine was in production at the time.
Ronnie,
Buick stopped using the 225 V6 in 1967 as they began using the Chevy 250 as the base engine in 1968 in the Special Deluxe. The tooling was sold to Kaiser-Jeep which already used the Buick V6 in their CJ and Jeepsters. At about the same time, the larger Jeep J series trucks and Wagoneers began using the Buick 350 instead of the AMC 327.
Then AMC bought Kaiser-Jeep and stopped producing vehicles with the Dauntless engines (Buick V6 for which they had the tooling and Buick 350 that they got from GM) after the 1971 model year in favor of their own I6 and 360 V8.
Buick got the tooling back early in 1974 and it was ready for the 1975 model year introduction.
Ford Model T – 1908 to 2002. Ford built six “new” Model Ts from scratch in 2002 to celebrate their centenary.
“The 2003 Model T-100s were made by hand and replicate in true fashion the 1914 Model T. The six new models are identical to the originals, from the throttle to the engine crank.
‘All of the parts in these vehicles are new,’ said William Leland, Model T-100 project manager. ‘The company worked with dozens of craftsmen and suppliers to make the parts used in these new vehicles, and the results are astounding.’ ”
http://www.gizmohighway.com/autos/ford_model_t_100.htm
Ford Model T – 1908 to 2002. Ford built six brand new Model T’s from scratch in 2002 to celebrate their centennial. These cars were fashioned from newly-fabricated parts.
I was gonna say the Model T engine too. Apparently some of the engine parts were ‘OEM’ and had been sat in the back of a warehouse for nearly a century – but that could be BS.
Here’s a detailed article about the new T. It says that all-new parts were used – some by third-party companies who make T parts for collectors and some by Ford themselves and their contractors.
http://www.vmcca.org/bh/T-100%20story.pdf
GM’s 3800 series 1 thru 3 should be way up there in both years of production, and numbers sold.
My vote goes for the Chevrolet inline 6. It was Chevy’s main engine from 1929 through 1954, and was the base engine from 1955 onwward after the small block V8. It was finally phased out in 1990 in North America but Brazil produced a fuel injected straight 6 until 1998. Don’t know the actual production numbers of all generations of this engine but it’s got to be in the hundreds of millions.
The old Stovebolt six was replaced by a brand new 230 cubic inch six for the ’64 model year. The new one had seven main bearings and was essentially a larger version of the Chevy II 194 cubic inch six.
The 4L I-6 in Jeeps?
John, you’re partially right, it used 2 gears instead of a chain. Very tough engine, probably the only straight 6 right up there with the slant 6 as far as longevity goes. They are even used on irrigation pumps, and run non stop except when shut down for maintanance.
The chevy 230/250 6 is ok, but uses softer cast iron like chevy V8’s, and it had problems with heads cracking just like the small blocks. The AMC six is a very rugged design, with a high nickel content in the block.
The advantages of the slant 6 over the others is the 4 main bearing design, which results in a stronger crank, alot less twists and turns. And the slant 6 used a steel crank until mid 77, and had cooling between the exhaust ports. the slant six also had much more beef in the lower end of the block.
MM426W:
You are correct on all three counts. That inline six was/is used for some serious applications. You’re call on the Chevy 250 matches our experience, too. Most of the vehicles in our family had that 250, and all but one cracked the head, but they took north of 150K to do so. A couple of the trucks that were used primarily on the highway saw nearly 300K before the next head. At that time the trucks themselves were rust buckets so it didn’t matter.
I have a really soft spot for the 225. No other engine hit the mark quite like it, with the possible exception of later GM 3.8s. I learned to drive on a slant six and it took a serious beating. Learned the hard way what that rubbery flap over the top of the front suspension was for…first puddle soaked the side mounted distributor and I was walking home…Even if it is not the answer to to question posed, it warrants a honorable mention.
The latest engine picture at the top appears to be the olds turbo charged version of the 215 CI alum V8. The carb was enclosed inside of an air box.
Honorable mention to the Alfa Romeo twin cam all aluminum I-4. Produced from 1954 to 1994 in 1300, 1600, 1800 and 2000 cc.
It’s beautiful to look at too. The way a twin cam four should look – with separate cam banks.
On the subject of beautiful twin-cam engines, the Alfa twin cam is just barely beaten by the Jaguar XK6, being made from 1949 to 1992. I wonder if, in both cases, lack of available R&D funds contributed to their longevity as much as initial technical excellence.
I’m surprised that nobody else mentioned the Jaguar XK6 engine. I think it’s a shame whenever anyone replaces an XK6 with a SBC.
Bizzarrini V12 is old it’s been slightly modified but damn is it cool
From all accounts, the VW air cooled engine was “produced” for 70 years (1936-2006). So unless someone can find documentation of them making the inline 4 that was in the Model T in a production mode from 1908 – 2002 when they made the 6 “new” Model T’s for Ford’s Centennial, I imagine we have our winner with an engine that was in a Porsche. Yes I know it wasn’t in a 911, but had to go there when it comes to some of the longest running designs ever.
Another honorable mention has to be the old Ford 4cyl “Kent” engine used in the US in the ’78-’80 Fiesta. It launched in 1959 (but without a crossflow head at that point) and apparently was put back into production just recently to supply complete engines and parts to the vintage racing community.
That engine also appeared in my 71 Pinto, and it was fitted to manual transmission-only Pintos from 71-73. My dad had a 78 Fiesta also, so for a short period of time we had two Kent engines living under one roof.
The Kent block is also the basis of the Lotus Twin Cam engine.
The longest production american engine is the small block shivvy. GM still makes the first gen version as a crate motor.
I’m assuming the Ford Windsor V8 is at least in the top 10. 1962-present (crate engines) as per Wikipedia.
What does that have to do with “longest production for any engine”? You are correct about the 2.7 being junk. The early 3.8 was also a piece of junk when first introduced in 75. It suffered from catastrophic failures due to a bad oil pump design.
When gm practically redesigned it in 86 and designated it “3800” it was finally a good engine.
Other than some early failures for sludge (which was resolved) what exactly makes the 2.7L a piece of junk? I hear people dissing this engine all the time but without any real foundation. My 2.7L runs perfectly, delivers excellent fuel economy, uses no oil and has been completely reliable.
Why hasn’t someone mentioned the old Austin 4 cyl? it certainly goes back to the late twenties and I believe may still be in production in India…
Briggs and Stratton flathead. Pretty simple engine, thank god they put in a Hall effect sensor and did away with points. The depression era engine in my shop looks no different than any built in the 80’s, 90’s etc.
Bravo.
When was it put into a car?
Some King Midget models may have used Briggs & Stratton engines…from the Wikipedia article:
“In the 1950s, Midget Motors developed the Junior and Trainer. Both were without a body or even a design for one. It was up to the owner to design and build. The Junior was powered by a 2.5 hp (1.9 kW) Briggs & Stratton engine, while the Trainer used a 3 hp (2.2 kW) Briggs and Stratton.”
It’s up in the air as to whether any of these were actually built, but….
I think some of the Cushman vehicles got a Brigss too. Probably some of the later cycle cars, I think it went into some Curved Dash Olds Replicas in the 1960s.
Aviation engine technology changes so slowly that carburetors are still the norm.
one fly boy told me, av engines require certifications once it has been certified as good to use then no one will bother to re-invent the wheels again, as the re-cert somehow is a very lengthy process. Cars no need to certify every time u change a screw, airplane even a screw has to be orig.
Look at the Concorde fiasco, it was because the delta /united mechanic used a piece of non ally metal ( titanium i read ?) strip on his plane, when it felled off it cut the tire of the Concorde, caused it to break the fuel tank and killed so many people! pretty sad.
if it were alloy being softer it would not have caused the Concorde to come down.
I think the VW aircooled has it for number 1, though the 1936-2006 claim is a little out there. I mean, it was designed in 1936, but what was it used for between 36 and 49? I know German tanks were gas powered, but still…
Well, if it is #1, I’d be interested in figuring out #2-through #10. I suspect the small block chevy would take it.
Here’s a sampler of what the VW flat four powered between 1936 and 1949:
Pre-war: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kdf-Wagen#.22The_People.27s_Car.22
During WWII: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_K%C3%BCbelwagen
Immediately post war:
“The Volkswagen factory was handed over by the Americans to British control in 1945; it was to be dismantled and shipped to Britain.[19]Thankfully for Volkswagen, no British car manufacturer was interested in the factory; “the vehicle does not meet the fundamental technical requirement of a motor-car … it is quite unattractive to the average buyer … To build the car commercially would be a completely uneconomic enterprise.”[19] The factory survived by producing cars for the British Army instead.”
If you can believe Wikipedia it goes like this:
1. Small block Chevy (48 years of automotive installations)
2. Lamborghini V-12 (47 years)
3. Rolls Royce 6.75 Litre (42 years and counting)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_V8_engine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Small-Block_engine
I can only assume they don’t mention the VW air cooled four (1936-2006) because the displacement varied. Or something.
That’s referring to engines in production today. And it’s out of date since the small-block Chevy is now out of production, making the Lambo the oldest one today.
I think the title of the article should have been more specific, since we have people mentioning lawn mower engines and such. Like I said earlier, the small block chevy gets that honor as far as american passenger car engines go. It was introduced in 1955, and is still produced by Gm as a crate motor, which means it has been produced for 55 years. Soon to be 56, since we are nearing the year of 2011.
“I mean, it was designed in 1936, but what was it used for between 36 and 49?”
The Kubelwagen and Kommandeurwagen. There were some (very few) civilian models built also.
On the topic: RWD Ladas have had basically the same engine since 1970. Not the longest production run in the world, but still long enough.
The Ford Taunus (Cologne) V4/V6 aren’t right up there, but deserve mention: the V4 was installed from 1962 to 1981 and remains in use in various industrial applications; more importantly, it was expanded into a V6 for 1964, which continues (albeit with more than twice the displacement and overhead cams) to this day in the Ranger.
If you can vote for the SBC with all its myriad displacements as one motor the what about Ford’s FE? That came out in what, 59? And it’s still around as the 5.4L.
Your username says it all!
The FE started life in 58 as a 332 and 352. It was later bored out to a 390, and became a 406, 427 and 428. There was a 360 version available in trucks only, from 68-76. 71 was the last year that the FE was offered in passenger cars, which was a 390. 360 and 390 versions were offered in trucks through the end of the 76 model year, and were replaced by the 351M and 400 in 77.
The 5.4 offerd today is a larger displacement version of ford’s OHC mod motor, and has absolutely nothing in common with the old FE, besides having 8 cylinders.
My bad. I read some bad info. Still, there’s FE’s still being used for marine purposes – Chris Craft just loved these things.
I might add, tho, that shelby enterprises started producing the FE in 428 form a couple of years ago. You can buy complete engines, as well as individual parts, but the blocks and heads are only available in aluminum form.
Suggestion:
How about the old Continental 226 flathead 6? I don’t know exactly when it entered production, but it powered not only the Kaiser-Frazer cars, but the prewar Graham-Paige before that. Checker and Jeep also used the engine (Jeep converted theirs to an OHC version in the early ’60s), and it was still offered as an industrial engine for years afterwards.
The Continental flathead six was introduced in the mid/late 1920’s and was installed (with constant improvements, of course) in American cars until the end of Kaiser – which means 1955 in the US, and sometime in the 1960’s in Brazil.
I’m sure this is stretching the rules for ‘industrial’ applications but what about the Hemi? 1953(?) to the present in top fuel dragsters. I know they are ‘based on’ the original Hemi and not made by Mopar… blah, blah…
per article title : Longest Production Run . this has to go to Herr Doktor Diesel. his mechanical marvel predates Herr Porsche’s. regardless of brand name this ENGINE has been bolted onto commercial and passenger chassis’ for 100 years.
That’s like saying the Otto four-stroke engine has the longest production run. We’re being more specific than that.
Someone knowledgeable on the subject might chime in about BMW motorcycle boxer-twin (‘R’) engines. I know some of the 1930s R engines (R75?) were made by the Russians and the Chinese many years after the war, and maybe still today in China.
(Yes, it’s not an automotive application, but interesting nevertheless.)
BMW’s boxer twin has had at least a couple of clean-sheet redesigns that (in my opinion) break the chain. It’s not like the multiple displacements and gradual evolution of the VW flat-four and Chevrolet small-block V8, in which each different version still had strong links (through parts interchangeability, etc) with the prior versions even though the individual part numbers all changed. What I don’t know about the BMW boxers, is how long the longest time was between clean-sheet redesigns – they’ve been more frequent in more recent years.
The Royal Enfield might be a contender, though. Originally a European design, then transferred to India, then modernized with fuel injection, but it’s still the same basic thing.
I agree that the BMW boxer twin has underegone many clean sheet redesigns. (For example the engine was flipped over at some point to put the push rods on the bottom.)
I was specifically referring to the 1930s design. The Russians took the tooling out of Germany after WW2 as reparations. The Russians put that engine in their Ural military bikes for years. They then sold the tooling to the Chinese in the 1970s who, I believe, were still making the same fundamental design into the 1990s. I read this in the 1990s in a motorcycle mag but this is all I can recall. (I was interested in buying an early BMW bike at the time and the article said that new parts (from China) were still available.)
I am sure a web surf will turn up more details.
The Chevy inline 6 overhead valve engine was introduced in 1929 and ran through 1998, but then was revamped from a cam-in-block design to an overhead cam design in 2002 and ran through 2009 so I’m not sure the latter could be considered, but ’29-98 gives it a 69 year run.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Straight-6_engine
with a nod to tonyola, 2 strokers are still propelling snow sleds and water craft. this leads me to point up that commercial vehicles may include ships. if not, strictly ground bound ENGINES all go back to their roots no matter how bastardised …
I think the title of the article should have been more specific, since we have people mentioning lawn mower engines and such
That makes me think about why some things simply never changed, or changed so slowly that most would ever know. The traditional Briggs engines are a perfect example. While there were no doubt subtle changes made along the way, the points elimination was probably the biggest, as least a far at the end user would know. No more broken fly wheels from point-replacement projects. But, why the alligator speed evolution. My guess is that there was no reason to change. No concern about noise, smoke, or competition from different designs. Once the OHV type engines, as in Honda, became widespread, who wanted to put up with that heavy, LOUD, mass of reciprocating parts. Those old flatheads were very long lasting but ancient. I suppose its either regulation or competition that forces the change, and here it was again Japanese competition. At least Briggs didn’t have to counter a reputation for poor quality.
Regarding those lawnmower engines. They were powering vehicles before most of us (all?) were born. Also powered boats. There’s nothing more a primal vehicle than two tires, a frame, a seat (plywood? or?), handlebars and a one lunger chain drive one speed. Brakes optional.
http://www.minibikeclub.com/history.shtml
As long as we’re getting way out there..might as well mention the Sun. Being going strong for 4.6 billion years as a thermonuclear engine with damn high output. Limited production in our area (one) but pretty common elsewhere.
I have to nominate the Mitsubishi Astron family as a player. The Astron is not the oldest, but any engine family that sees 40 plus years of production deserves mention. Displacement of the Astron ranged from 1.8 to 2.6 liters and the basic design spawned diesel as well as gasoline versions. The Astron figured prominently in Mitsubishi’s cars and trucks as well Chrysler’s K cars and Minivans throughout the 70’s and 80s. Production of the 4G52 began in 1972 and production of the 4D56 diesel continues to this day.
if we’re talking about an engine design that has been stuck in a brand’s cars without fail since it’s inception (unlike the AMC Six), the Bentley V8 rates highly.
Debuted in 1959 as a 6.2L motor in the Rolls Silver Could II, Phantom V, and Bentley S2. Still in production today (albeit with a whole lot of new features) in the Mulsanne. So almost 52 years of CONTINUAL use in the brand’s cars. I don’t think you can say that about any of the others?
Wasn’t this motor bought from GM?
No, it was an original design by Rolls Royce. GM however did supply automatic transmissions for a long time.
No. Rolls bought GM TH400 transmissions and used them for years (which depending on the make and model of the Rolls you’re restoring can make the restoration easier) but the engine was designed and built by Rolls Royce. Although finding an old Rolls with a straight body and a pristine interior but a shot engine and trans means you could replace the defective parts with an old big block Cadillac V8 and rebuild the TH400. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_V8_engine#6.2.C2.A0L
I’m guessing something from Briggs & Stratton
FIAT-124-based Soviet/Russian Lada: 1970 – to date
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VAZ-2101
They are still churning out the little creep in slightly updated form, but its engine is the same, only having gained a fuel injection and a catalist in the last 5 or so years.
Since Murilee was clear that he wasn’t too concerned with rules, I’m going to make a point no one else has: the VW Flat-four wasn’t discontinued in 2006, just the air-cooled one. Water cooled flat fours (think US Vanagon) are still made and used in the Kombi in Brazil; while the motor may be modified for water cooling from the air-cooled unit, it still counts as the same engine family dating to 1936 in my book. I can’t think of another motor that even comes close.
http://www.volkswagen.com/br/pt/carros/kombi.html
Honda horizontal singles win, hands down. No contest, end of conversation, please close thread.
If we extend the query to two wheeled vehicles I have a couple of good ones –
The Ural boxer twin has been in production since the 1930s with only basic upgrades. At the time it was sold to the Soviets by the Germans in a lend-lease agreement before Barbarossa. The Germans pawned off an obsolete BMW design. So it was out of date in the 30s, and it’s still in production today. The Ural remains the scariest vehicle I have every driven. It’s truly a tractor with two (or three, with the common sidecar option) wheels. Driving one is utterly terrifying, despite the lack of power or speed. Thank god they don’t put anything more powerful into that chassis because its a widowmaker with 30 odd hp. I drove a two-wheel drive model with my father in the sidecar. He had a great time, unaware of how much I was fighting to keep it on the road at a steady 30 mph in a straight line.
Along the same lines is the Indian built Royal Enfield. The 350/500 cc single cylinder engines in those puppies have been virtually unchanged since 1955 when Royal Enfield UK sold the tooling to the Indians. Now, ironically, the UK company is long gone, a victim of modernization and the Japanese invasion, while the Indians continue to produce the obsolete design for cheap transport and nostalgic westerners. They get bonus points for keeping the 1950s style totally intact, and making a sweet (but slug slow) cafe racer model.