The Beetle. The T2 Van. The Karmann Ghia. Some of the most well loved cars, and one of the things they share is the engine that powers them. In fact, the E-motor engine powered 6 different models over 45 years and over a 100 million produced to fit some of the best-selling cars of all time.
So how did the engine come to be made? The engine was created in 1945 and used to power VW Beetle. The engine was a standard 4- cylinder engine. However, since the engine was in the back, it needed to have a low centre of gravity so that the car would be able to turn without causing any problems for the drivers. As such, the development team decided to use a ‘boxer’ layout, where the cylinders were laid flat. This lowered the centre of gravity and allowed the car to steer properly.
Initially, the engine was quite small, at only 1100cc. It also only produced around 30 hp, although that was an acceptable power output in the 1940s. Over time, the engine’s size and power increased, with the final engine, produced from 1966 to 1989, had an increased displacement of 1600cc, with this engine providing up to 50 hp at the beginning of its life, with the power output increasing to around 70-80 hp by 1989.
The engine wasn’t only used in Volkswagens. A larger 1.7 litre engine was used by Porsche in many of its early cars. Porsche and Volkswagen also worked together to produce a 2.0 litre engine for the Porsche 914. This was the most powerful variant of the E-motor, producing a 100 hp. The engine’s use wasn’t just restricted to cars. It was also used in planes, with over 90 different planes featuring the engine, used due to it being extremely fuel efficient.
If you think of any classic Volkswagen, this engine powered that car. This engine even inspired the legendary Porsche ‘Boxer’ engine, an engine which is used to this day. For Volkswagen, the engine was great because it was relatively simple to assemble and cheap to produce. For the consumer, it was a great engine because while it wasn’t the most powerful engine, it was reliable and fuel efficient. In more recent years, tuning companies have produced modifications for this engine, so now, even power isn’t a problem. If you wanted, you could even buy this engine to power equipment in a factory! Truly, this engine was an incredible feat of engineering, and the people who designed it should be proud of their achievement.
Comments