Engine lineages – interesting history

[jphanna]

one of my interests is finding out the history of engines (reading articles or watching documenteries) and how they related to cars that we may have driven or heard about. These examples are from decades ago but you may know some current ones. Probably anyone under 40 years old wont give a rats about this stuff but I will take a chance. I will have my flame suit on if you hate this stuff…..

1. the (NAZI funded) Daimer Benz, supercharger development of the Silver arrows grand prix cars and Mercedes road cars, ( germany was not allowed to develop aircraft after WW1) morphed into the DB605 engine which powered the Messerschmitt BF109

2. the Ford Anglia(1000cc) 4 cylinder KENT engine morphed into the COSWORTH DFV V8 (most successful F1 engine in history)

3. remember the Merc 300 SLR Gullwing (worlds first supercar), well that had a 3.0 litre slant 6. do you, or anyone you know have a 60’s Valiant? Take a good look at the Slant 6 motor, because it was designed by the same guy as the SLR 300. Rudolf Uhlenhaut. He was commissioned by Chrysler in the late 50’s for a while and he obviously likes slant 6’s..

4. the VN 3800 (arch enemy of the EA!). that motor was morphed from a 215CI Fireball V8 from 1961. that was an alloy engine originally and if you research Jack brabhams 1966 F1 world championship car, he used the block of one of those Fireball V8’s to base his engine on which we called the REPCO-BRABHAM. GM flogged that motor off to Rover for there use and it also ended up as the 4.4 lite engine in australia’s Leyland P76. how about that for a history?

If anybody proves me wrong in this stuff then Flame on.
do you know any engine design history stories yourself?