Engines That Redefined Transport

Charles Parsons demonstrated his steam turbine aboard the experimental vessel Turbinia in 1897, reaching 34.5 knots and convincing the Royal Navy and major ocean liners to adopt turbine propulsion.

Ford introduced this side valve V8 in 1932 as the first affordable, mass produced V8 engine offered in a low priced car, and it powered Ford vehicles for two decades.

First run as a private venture in 1933, this liquid cooled V12 went on to power the Spitfire, Hurricane and P-51 Mustang, becoming one of World War Two's most successful aircraft engines.

This rear mounted flat four powered the Volkswagen Beetle from 1936 into 2006, prized for its simplicity and light weight with no liquid cooling system to maintain.

This twin row eighteen cylinder radial engine, first run in 1937, powered the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and, after the war, postwar airliners such as the Lockheed Super Constellation and Douglas DC-7.

General Motors' Electro-Motive Division released this two stroke diesel in 1938, and it became the standard power plant for EMD locomotives that displaced steam traction on American railroads.

First run in 1937 and produced from 1939, this air cooled radial engine powered the Vought F4U Corsair, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and Douglas DC-6.

First tested in October 1940 and entering service in 1944, this axial flow turbojet was the world's first production turbojet engine and powered the Messerschmitt Me 262, the first operational jet fighter.

First run in 1944, this centrifugal flow turbojet was Rolls-Royce's third production jet engine, and reverse engineered copies of it became the basis for the Soviet MiG-15 fighter's engine.

Chevrolet began production of this light, compact V8 for the 1955 model year, and it became one of the most widely used and modified V8 engine designs in automotive history.

First flown in 1955, this axial flow turbojet used variable stator vanes to operate stably across a wide speed range, powering the F-104 Starfighter, F-4 Phantom II and B-58 Hustler over more than 17,000 units built.

Introduced in the early 1960s to power short and medium haul jet airliners, this low bypass turbofan powered the Boeing 727, Boeing 737 and Douglas DC-9 across more than 14,000 engines produced.

Introduced in 1965 as the successor to the EMD 567, this two stroke diesel powered EMD road and switching locomotives through the 1970s and 1980s before the 710 series replaced it.

The fourteen cylinder version of this low speed marine diesel entered commercial service in September 2006 aboard the container ship Emma Maersk, making it the largest reciprocating engine in the world.