February 22, 1893 - Rudolf Diesel received a German patent for the diesel engine. The diesel engine burns fuel oil rather than gasoline and differs from the gasoline engine in that it uses compressed air in the cylinder rather than a spark to ignite the fuel. Diesel engines were used widely in Europe for their efficiency and power, and are still used today in most heavy industrial machinery.

In 1977, GM became the first American car company to introduce diesel-powered automobiles. The diesel-powered Olds 88 and 98 models were 40 percent more fuel-efficient than their gas-powered counterparts. The idling and reduced power efficiency of the diesel engine is much greater than that of the spark engine.

The land speed record for a diesel powered pickup was set by a Cummins prepared Dodge Ram at Bonneville Salt Flats on September 25, 1996 @ 141.256 mph. This speed was broken by Dr. Performance in a Dodge Ram pickup on August 17, 1999 @ 148.536mph .

Diesel Pickup 1/4 Mile Track record - Dr. Performance in a Dodge Ram pickup:
12.59 @ 109.87 mph at Woodburn, OR on August 7, 1999.

Last Update: February 22, 2000