Diesel into Auburn

In 1918 a Columbus, Ind. banker named William G. Irwin had a chauffeur named Clessie Lyle Cummins. When Mr. Irwin went to Canada for the summer, Chauffeur Cummins decided he ought to "do his bit" to help the U. S. win the War. He converted the Irwin garage into a workshop, began turning out wagon hubs for the Government. By the time Mr. Irwin got back to Columbus, Chauffeur Cummins had the garage running as a full-fledged factory with three eight-hour shifts.

Mr. Irwin, who is now a director of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, decided that such talents should be given an opportunity to flower. Chauffeur Cummins, mechanically inclined since childhood, had built an automobile at the age of 15. Mr. Irwin set him up in business with $10,000, eventually backed him with half a million. By 1930 Chauffeur Cummins was one of the leading manufacturers of Diesel engines in the U. S.

At that time the Diesel engine was a cumbersome, slow affair which weighed some 250 lb. per horsepower, had a top-speed of 500 r. p. m. But heavy or light, slow or fast, it was still the most efficient engine in the world. Mr. Cummins set about making the Diesel engine lighter, faster, kept an eye cocked on Europe and its Diesel-powered vehicles.

In 1931 Mr. Cummins put a Diesel engine into a racing car, saw it finish the 500-mi. Indianapolis Sweepstakes nonstop. Still slow, still heavy, still economical, Cummins Diesels were ideal for hauling heavy commercial loads, were soon powering some 1,200 U. S. trucks.

After three years of experiment, Mr. Cummins appeared fortnight ago in Manhattan with the first Diesel engine exclusively designed for automobiles. This time he used a new Auburn chassis for his test. His engine has six cylinders, 100 h. p., weighs only 80 lb. more than the 8-cylinder Lycoming gasoline engine it replaced. It can turn 3,000 r. p. m., make 90 m. p. h. with a gear ratio slightly above normal. It weighs only 8 lb. per h. p., would cost some 10% more than a gasoline engine to put into mass production. It has no spark plugs, no ignition system, no carburetor, is free from carbon. There is no fire or explosion hazard. The exhaust gas is nonpoisonous.

Last week, on the first leg of a transcontinental "economy tour" Mr. Cummins drove from Manhattan to White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. to attend the annual meeting of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Distance: 496 mi. Fuel cost: 74-c-, plus 38-c- tax. Mileage: 40.2 mi. per gal.

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