First diesel passenger car
The Mercedes-Benz 260D was the first production passenger car with a diesel engine
THE diesel revolution began in February 1936 when the Mercedes-Benz 260 D (W 138 series) – the world’s first production car with diesel engine – was displayed at the International Automobile and Motorcycle Show in Berlin.
Its 2.6-litre four-cylinder engine with Mercedes-Benz pre-chamber combustion and Bosch injection pump developed 45hp at 3 200rpm and was installed in the chassis of the petrol-engine 200 model.
Its average fuel consumption was just above nine litres per 100km, thereby remaining significantly below the 13-litres to 100km of the petrol-engine 200.
What’s more, a litre of diesel fuel cost just 17 pfennigs in 1936, less than half the price of petrol.
Taxi drivers were among the first to opt for this car right from the start – not least because it was also available with a spacious six-seater body.
By 1940, the production volume of the Mercedes-Benz 260 D had reached 1967 units – not a lot in terms of absolute figures.
And yet the world’s first diesel-engine passenger car was a great success because each unit impressively demonstrated the diesel engine’s advantages – longevity and fuel economy – in the passenger car as well.
Hence, the 260 D laid the foundation for the continued success of the diesel-engine passenger car.
