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Diesel Vehicle Models Myth: "Diesel passenger cars aren't common; there are only
a few models to choose from." For example, in 1984 there were 119 different diesel models available. Many popular cars were made as diesels: Toyota Camry & Tercel, Nissan Sentra, Pontiac Grand Prix, Mazda 626, Jeep Cherokee, Ford Escort, Chevy Caprice & Impala, and Volvo 760. Actual availability is another issue though. Let us know if you have info on how many diesel passenger vehicles have been sold, per year, per model, etc. One indicator of availability is the number of years a model was made as a diesel. Also, just because a diesel model was made, doesn't make it a good vehicle. Some early 80's diesel engines were rushed into production and had major design flaws. Continue on to 236 unique models that were made
as diesels... |
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Diesel Vehicle History
As shown in the following graph, diesel passenger vehicles experience a burst of popularity in the early 1980s. This was due in part to OPEC, oil scarcity fears, and new emissions standards:
"The first oil crisis in 1973 shook us. The second in 1978 scared us, scared us so bad that car buyers were willing to ignore the diesel's noise, fumes, smell and iffy cold-weather starting to get the benefit of its good fuel economy. (Most of these problems with the diesel have since been solved.)
Sales of passenger cars powered by diesels grew rapidly, peaking in 1981 at 520,788. Some 60 percent of those diesel cars were built by General Motors. That was 10 percent of GM sales that year. For other makers, diesels were a bigger factor. They accounted for almost 85 percent of Peugeot sales in the United States, 78 percent of Mercedes-Benz sales, 58 percent of Isuzu sales and almost half of Volkswagen sales. Diesel passenger cars were also sold by Audi, Volvo and Datsun in 1981.
Then there were problems with GM's diesels. Blocks cracked and crankshafts wore prematurely. Critics complained that it was just a converted gasoline engine and clubs of disgruntled owners sprang up and lawsuits were filed. Tougher emission standards caused problems for all diesel makers. Hammering the final nail in the diesel's coffin, the price of gasoline began to decline. So did diesel sales. GM, which had been so bullish on diesels, ended production in 1985. Gasoline prices fell to the lowest levels ever, in terms of real dollars. The government's cheap gasoline policies have kept the price low, except for occasional spikes to remind us how vulnerable we are." -- Richard A. Wright [1]
In the US, the 1980s were very good years for diesel passenger vehicles. Source:
2002 Mighty parts database.
Diesel Vehicle Future
Some people have considered diesels to be dead in the US. But other trends say that diesel is the future. It's only a short distance across the big pond to see European fuel prices hitting $4.00 per gallon. And artificially low US gas prices will eventually succumb to the true scarcity. No wonder diesel passenger vehicles will be nearing 50% of the European market quite soon.
How would you like a 2000 Ford Focus TDi or an Audi A3 TDi that gets better than 50 MPG? Or maybe a BMW 530d Automatic that gets nearly 40 MPG? GearWheelsMag.co.uk has a review of 6 mid-sized diesels.
Considering the efficiency, cleanliness, local economy, and safety of biodiesel,
it seems to be quite a strong runner for the long haul.
Footnotes:
[1] Richard A. Wright, A Brief History the Auto Industry:
http://www.cfpca.wayne.edu/faculty/wright/autohistory/18.html
(page is now gone)
Diesel Vehicles for Sale in the U.S.: http://www.dieselforum.org/background/usdiesel.html
Department of Energy Vehicle Buying Guide: http://www.ccities.doe.gov/vbg/
See also: GoBiodiesel (Portland, Oregon) DieselVehiclesSales page.
