Classic & Vintage Commercials Magazine Vol.19 No.7 Mammoth Major Rescue Back Issue

Several decades ago, the diesel engine was still in its relative infancy.
It was perceived as slow, smelly and somewhat noisy, mainly because
that’s exactly what it was. Leaving aside trucks for a moment, diesel cars were in the minority because they just didn’t offer the same levels of performance as petrol motors. The only significant attraction was the advantage they offered in fuel consumption. Now, well over 50 per cent of new cars sold are diesels and you can see why because, mainly thanks to advances in turbocharging technology, they are quick, really quick, and on paper, their drinking habits look mighty good. But the situation has gradually changed and few drivers seem to have grasped what is happening. It is now dearer to run a diesel than its petrol equivalent., I admit that I don’t have hard facts to back up that statement, just a bit of basic mathematics, equally-as-basic logic and the opinions of a few friends in the trade. Think about this – a diesel car costs a fair bit more to buy in the first place, servicing is more expensive because of the intervals and filters etc involved and you also have to contend with that modern
evil called the DPF (diesel particulate filter). If an engine doesn’t get a good run on a regular basis, the filter will block and cost you around £500, maybe more. Ah, but the fuel consumption makes it all worthwhile. Well, perhaps not, because at the time of writing, the average price of
petrol was £5.88 a gallon (I don’t deal in that toy-money litres rubbish) and £6.22 for diesel. That must surely wipe out the extra miles you’re getting out of a tankful. Chuck in the fact that driving a petrol car is an infinitely more pleasurable experience and, for me, there is no real
choice to be made. So, what about trucks? Well, unless there is a revolution in technology, we’re stuck with the diesel.