BRITISH PIONEER; Diesel engines have powered race cars since the 1930s.(News)

Byline: BROOKS BRIERLEY

The recent prominence of diesel-powered racing sports cars from Audi and Peugeot remind us that the list of oil-burning achievements is a long one. Diesel engines date back to the 19th century, but it took the Depression to spark real automotive interest. The streamlined car that British record setter George Eyston used in the mid-1930s- the AEC (for Associated Equipment Company) Fuel Oil Safety Special- is the most stunning-looking part of that history.

In the spring of 1933, British motorsport craftsmen L.T. Delaney and Sons reworked a 135-inch-wheelbase Chrysler Imperial chassis into the first British diesel-powered race car. It was to be the fastest diesel in the world. Without racing modifications, the 8.9-liter, six-cylinder engine-with a 16:1 compression ratio producing 130 hp-was the same powerplant used in many London buses. Other specifications included a seven-bearing balanced crankshaft and Lockheed hydraulic brakes with 16-inch drums on disc wheels.

Great fuel economy-about 22 mpg at 100 mph when an Alfa 158 might register 5 mpg-allowed for an undersized fuel tank. In contrast, the heavy (1414-pound) motor required extra-strong half-elliptic front springs.

English coachbuilder Vanden Plas constructed the intriguing two-window sedan body, with surfaces of weight-saving matte-black fabric and an airplanelike four-piece windshield. Inside were pleated-leather seats and an artistic spray of bright-bezeled Jaeger instruments. Clip-on body details made the Special street-legal. It was equally adept at serious competition or a head-turning amble along Old Bond Street. The shallow parabola-like rear fenders were an enigma; when in place, they blocked opening the rear doors.

In October 1933, the ...