What is the oldest engine in production today? Now With New Stuff!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tornado
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A few years ago, I made this thread asking about engine ages. Since then, some things have gone down:
  • The 1955-era, SBC-derived Vortec 4300 V6 is still in production.
  • The 1959-era Bentley 6.75 is still being made, but was redesigned somewhat to meed Euro V emissions.
  • The 1959-era Ford Kent engine went out of production with the Ka in 2008.
  • The 1960-era Ford Straight-6 engine is still used in various Ford Australia cars.
  • The 1961-era, Buick V8-derived 3800 V6 went out of production with the Buick LaCrosse in 2009.
  • The 1963-era Lamborghini V12, currently doing its duty in the Murcielago which may or may not be in the Murcielago's replacement.
  • The 1964-era, Chrysler L/A-derived Viper V10 went out of production with the Viper this year.
  • The 1964-era (or at least 1975) Porsche 911 engine is still in production in the GT3 and the GT2, but has been phased out of the 911 Turbo and was already taken out of the Carrera at the start of the 997 generation.
  • The 1968-era Ford Cologne engine is still in production, but has been replaced by newer engines in everything but the USDM Ford Ranger, which is dying next year anyways.
  • The 1974-era EA827 VW I4 is still in production in basically everything VAG sells that is smaller than the Passat.


So I'm wondering, to revive this thread: Am I forgetting anything? Note that I'm still talking about engines that are actually based on previous designs. Not ones like the current SBC which threw out everything in 1997 and started from scratch with engines similar to the previous ones.
 
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Does anybody know exact how far back the Škoda OHV engine that was used in Fabia dates?
 
my first guess would be a Rolls-Royce Engine as they're used in cars, plans and boats. I would say that there's the Rolls Engines used in ships would be the winner. Since Rolls doesn't make car engines, anymore. (All the current Rolls cars have VW engines)
 
it has to be currently in production? Because the absolute champion of all this is the VW flat four, prototyped in 1937, in production since 1941, dumped along the Bug in 2006-7 basically unchanged, along with the rest of the car. And still pretty much going strong in the entire freaking world.
 
The ford straight 6 sounds pretty... old to me. The 300 in my truck and the 250s in australia
 
Do Honda still sell the Cub in its original form anywhere? The Cub has been going since 1958 and I suspect the four-stroke, 49cc engine is virtually unchanged.

SuperShouden
my first guess would be a Rolls-Royce Engine as they're used in cars, plans and boats. I would say that there's the Rolls Engines used in ships would be the winner. Since Rolls doesn't make car engines, anymore. (All the current Rolls cars have VW engines)
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Err... Rolls Royce are owned by BMW. I highly doubt their engines are VW-made.

Also, Rolls Royce the car company is completely different from Rolls Royce the engineering and aerospace company. BMW only bought the car concern, the two are now completely independant.
 
This wind-driven milling engine was built in 1850. Invented around the 9th century, I'm pretty sure the wind-powered milling engine is one of the oldest engine designs still built today.

Leonardusmolen_Maasbracht_1.jpg


An honorable mention to the water wheel which is significantly older but is basically out of production.
 
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Omnis
Actually, wouldn't the steam engine be the oldest? They still use steam-driven turbines in power plants and stuff.
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In that case...The LNER/British Rail North East Region Peppercorn A1, as far as single designs go. A development of the Gresley A3, they just finished one of those about a year ago. "Tornado." Has an in-series road number and everything.
 
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The Briggs and Stratton in your lawn mower has side valves. There were better engines in production 100 years ago.
 
I still don't think any one model of that engine has been in production long enough to warrant them taking that title.
 
Dotini
The Lycoming O-235 has been in production for about 60 years.
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For good reason... it's a tough little bugger, and keeping it in service makes maintenance and parts much easier for scads of aircraft owners and operators... more to the point... some of those engines have probably been in service for that long... :D
 
Not that it is totally relevant, but much to my own surprise, VW is dragging the long-running 2.0L I4 back into the US market with the 2011 Jetta. It is essentially the same engine that I had in my 1996 Jetta, and it is still a terrible lump of nothingness.
 
I dont think its as old as a lot of the engines mentioned but I have noticed the Fiat 1.2 8v engine currently used in the Punto seems to have been around for ages, they have certainly had their monies worth out of it.

Does anyone know how old it is ?
 
The design dates to at least the mid eighties. It's a development of the FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotised Engine) design that I think first saw service in the Fiat Uno.

Very good engine though. Reliable and simple with fairly good economy and performance. Obviously they've developed it, and given it a 16v head in some applications, but the reason it's been around for ages is because it works well.
 
Yes thats right the FIRE engine, I never knew thats what it stood for, interesting.

Another interesting thing about that engine is its a SAFE engine, as in snap the timing belt, dont worry no damage done just stick another belt on and off you go :D

Not many engines if any are like that anymore.
 
non-interference engine, yes. the Toyota 4A-Series engines were like that...sadly, all out of production, those.
 
Time for another update, methinks. Because I'm bored.

Tornado
  • The 1955-era, SBC-derived Vortec 4300 V6 is still in production.
  • The 1959-era Bentley 6.75 is still being made, but was redesigned somewhat to meed Euro V emissions.
  • The 1959-era Ford Kent engine went out of production with the Ka in 2008.
  • The 1960-era Ford Straight-6 engine is still used in various Ford Australia cars.
  • The 1961-era, Buick V8-derived 3800 V6 went out of production with the Buick LaCrosse in 2009.
  • The 1963-era Lamborghini V12, currently doing its duty in the Murcielago which may or may not be in the Murcielago's replacement.
  • The 1964-era, Chrysler L/A-derived Viper V10 went out of production with the Viper this year.
  • The 1964-era (or at least 1975) Porsche 911 engine is still in production in the GT3 and the GT2, but has been phased out of the 911 Turbo and was already taken out of the Carrera at the start of the 997 generation.
  • The 1968-era Ford Cologne engine is still in production, but has been replaced by newer engines in everything but the USDM Ford Ranger, which is dying next year anyways.
  • The 1974-era EA827 VW I4 is still in production in basically everything VAG sells that is smaller than the Passat.
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The Vortec 4300 is gone next year. The one bowing in the new Silverado is an all new design based on the new Corvette engine.
The Bentley engine in the Mulsanne is essentially an all new design made to copy the old engine as close as possible.
Kent engine is long gone.
The Ford Straight-6 is gone next year when the Falcon dies.
The 3800 V6 is long gone.
The Lamborghini V12 was went out with the Murcielago.
The Chrysler L/A engine still lives on through the Viper, but through the rather heavily modified form that first debuted with the 2008 Viper.
The old Mezger engine has finally been put to rest in the 911, switching to the direct injection 3.8L even for the GT3.
The Cologne engine went out with the Ford Ranger.
The EA827 is still in production in basically everything VAG sells that is smaller than the Passat (and, for a few years, the Passat); though with the most recent generation of cars (Mk VI Golf R, Audi S3) the EA888 has finally taken the slot on the top of the heap. VW trying to keep forcing their way downmarket (the 2.0L is still the base engine in the Jetta, and the 2.5 is the base engine in the New New Beetle) will probably keep it around for a long time. The TT-RS engine is an EA827 rather than the EA888, for example.





What a difference a few years makes.
 
Ford Windsors and Clevelands are still in production, but not in vehicles. You can buy them as raw blocks or complete running crate engines from Ford. They never technically stopped making the Windsor as is was phased out but never stopped being cast. The 4.6L engines which are now out of vehicle production are also still being cast.

http://www.fordracingparts.com/crateengine/main.asp#smb


Technically Chevy and Mopar have done the same thing, catering to hot rodders.
 
I'm not exactly sure what powers it, but I believe that the oldest machine in the world still going is a tobacco snuff making machine in Kendal, Cumbria. Been going since the 1750s. It could be entirely mechanical and not have an 'engine' but it's something.

But as for car engines, does it have to be produced for and as part of an available production car or can it be still produced for aftermarket and project cars?
 
Liquid
But as for car engines, does it have to be produced for and as part of an available production car or can it be still produced for aftermarket and project cars?
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That's a good question.
 
Tornado
Time for another update, methinks. Because I'm bored.
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Including the thread title. Danoff had a point a couple years ago, and aviation piston engines have been virtually unchanged since the mid-1900s.
 
Harley Davidson's 45 degree V-twin has evolved over the years, but it's largely the same engine (same architecture, which is what matters) as it was when it debuted in 1936. Still available (labeled as 'evolution') in the Sporster models. Not sure if other models have the old-style engine. No expert when it comes to HD.
 

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