Intro to Diesel World's Chronology of Vintage Diesel Light Trucks

1959 Land Rover Series II long wheelbase pickup

The history of transportation is fascinating. One of the most intriguing transition points in that history was the invention of the automobile. Before cars and trucks, horses were the mainstay of transportation. When automobiles entered the picture, the only clue that horses preceded them was that we still use horsepower as a measurement.

Even though the diesel engine had been developed in the 1890's, the early 20th century became a battleground between gasoline powered engines and electric. In fact, electric cars were so popular that half of all automobiles were electric. The problem they had, however, was two-fold. They were not reliable, and there was a limit to how far you could drive on one charge, which was about 17 miles. A trip from New York to Boston would indeed be a problem. How many charging stations were there between home and any out of town destination?

Gasoline-powered cars weren't exactly safe either, though. If you've ever see old films from the beginning of the 20th century, you may recall seeing hand-cranks to start the car. More than a few car owners were crushed inside their garages when they cranked it, got it started and it lurched forward. The electric starter was a most welcome invention indeed. An oil boom made gasoline cheap and the path ahead became clear and easy. 

All these thoughts came to mind as I was reading the introduction to Jim Allen's 2019 Diesel World article "A Chronology of Vintage Diesel Light Trucks in America." His intro to the history of diesel light trucks begins with an important fact about diesel engines. In the beginning these beasts were massive. Allen writes, "In the early days of diesel engines, downsizing them was a huge challenge. Given enough capital, engineers can work through almost any technical challenge. But investors was a return on investment so there needs to be market incentive."

In short, the pace of development was dictated by market demand and the incentives weren't there. By the 1930s they could be fit into big trucks, some watercraft and other applications. Then the war came along, accelerating many new developments. After the war diesel engines were downsized enough to where a light truck market could development, but there were still further technical kinks to work out. 

The first issue was the problem of batteries. In frigid weather it took a lot of batteries to cold start a diesel engine. This mean that even though the engines were smaller, there still wasn't room in the engine compartment for those extra batteries. Starting a diesel engine wasn't so easy to begin with, and the public wasn't ready to embrace it. And initially, they didn't have the power we have all come to appreciate today. A V-8 under the hood could run circles around those 1950s diesels.

Early direct injection Mercedes-Benz OM 352

Then there was that other hurdle to get over. The infrastructure for diesel fueling was not yet in place either. That's one of the factors that killed the enthusiasm for electric cars in the first decade of the century, and diesel owners faced the same dilemma. 

By the 1970s, Allen write, the U.S. diesel market was at least 20 years behind where our European counterparts were. And then the 1973 gas crunch his. Suddenly, diesels began getting some respect for their fuel economy benefits. Until that time, light duty diesel trucks were something only nerdy people appreciated. Afterwards, the perception was that these people had been quite forward looking. And once infrastructure development was in place, it was possible to have a serious diesel car and truck market.

Not every move toward diesel went smoothly though. Oldsmobile's diesel cars were not a high water mark for the Oldsmobile brand. Allen calls that effort part of Olds' "Days of Infamy." Fiasco, disaster and a few other words come to mind, with much weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But the diesel light truck market came through alright, even if U.S. diesel cars never fully realized their potential. 

Against this backdrop, Diesel World presents an overview of the various vintage diesel trucks that were part of our history. It's a little like researching one's genealogy. With the exception of a few "oddballs" they've dug out all the important contributions that were made through the decades. 

Part one of that story can be found here:
https://www.dieselworldmag.com/diesel-trucks/vintage-diesel-light-trucks-part-one/

Diesel World Spotlights History of Vintage Diesel Light Trucks Beginning with Those Early Land Rovers

Jim Allen's chronology of diesel-powered light trucks in America is a well-researched history of how we got to where we are today. As the saying goes, "We've come a long way, baby." The title of this Diesel World piece is Vintage Diesel Light Trucks: Part One. 

Allen begins by explaining the role money plays when it comes to technology. In the beginning, diesel engines were large. Downsizing them for land transportation presented challenges. Since people use money (capital) as an investment only when they see the potential for a return on investment, the incentive to put diesel engines in cars was not there. The was no market demand at the time.

The first diesel engines, circa 1890s, were of such a size as to be suitable only for ships and stationary powerplants. It wasn't till the 1930s that they had been downsized to fit into big trucks, tractors, construction equipment and the like. Ongoing developments slowly brought the idea closer of using diesel engines for cars and light trucks. 

One of the big challenges, Allen notes, had to do with batteries. (Sidenote: We've seen this in recent decades as the world moves inexorably toward renewable energy. Batteries were heavy and expensive. The motivation to solve these problems has been high and progress is being made.)

The initial stumbling block for diesels was that cold weather depleted cranking power. Consumers had additional complaints about diesels in the past. There were noisy, smelly, rode rough and had limit rpm ranges. Add to this, the process for starting a diesel in the '40s and '50s was a pain, and they didn't deliver on power. The last nail in the coffin for diesels was the lack of filling stations that carried diesel fuel. 

As a result of these factors, Allen writes that market demand in the U.S. was 20 year behind Europe. The 1973 gas crunch, however, proved to be a big kick in the pants to move things forward. 

The funny thing is how the perception of diesel owners changed after that. Instead of being nerdy and weird, diesel owners were perceived as ahead of their time. Investment in infrastructure took place and suddenly owning a diesel was practical and made sense.

There were still hurdles to overcome for the diesel market. One of the biggest, Allen notes, was the lamentable Olds Diesels that GM introduced and sold from 1978 to '81. Since that time the diesel car market in the U.S. never recovered nor realized its potential.

All this serves as setup for a detailed chronology of diesel-powered light trucks and SUVs in the U.S. market up through the end of the '80s.

1957-73: Land Rover Series I and II Diesel SUVs and Pickups 

People who have owned Land Rovers loved them. If you've ever known a Land Rover owner, their passion for the Rover was akin to that of a cult member. 

The first Land Rover prototype was developed in 1947 using a Jeep chassis and components. The Land Rover was officially introduced in April the following year at the Amsterdam. It wasn't till 1957  that the 2.0L diesel first became an option for both the short- and long-wheelbase 4x4s. Allen writes. "It was a modern IDI design that featured roller tappets and its base architecture was also used for the OHV gas engines that replaced an aging line of low-power F-head gassers."

Unfortunately, Land Rover stopped importing to the U.S. in 1973, leaving a lot of Land Rover fans bummed for awhile. They resumed again in 1987, but without the diesel option in this market. Overseas, yes you could get your diesel-powered Land Rover, and they remained popular 'round the globe.

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To see more vintage diesel light trucks, read the full article here.

https://www.dieselworldmag.com/diesel-trucks/vintage-diesel-light-trucks-part-one/