DEUTZ history

While working as a traveling salesman for a Cologne-based wholesale trade company, 29-year old Otto started experimenting with an engine based Lenoir's model in 1861.

In 1863 Otto started testing his "atmospheric gas engine" in a workshop in Cologne and secured several national and international patents.

In 1867 Otto and Langen presented their atmospheric gas engine at the Paris World Fair where it was awarded a gold medal for the most economical propulsion machine for small business.

1872: Company is transformed into a public share company and is renamed Gasmotoren-Fabrik Deutz AG.

Otto worked continuously to refine his technology and finally in 1876 reached a breakthrough.

In 1886 the German central court Reichsgericht rescinded part of Otto's patent.

He died in 1891 at age 59 in Cologne.

Diesel had invented another type of motor and offered his patent to Deutz in 1892.

Deutz's Philadelphia plant, the Otto-Gas-Engine-Works AG started producing Otto-motor-powered locomotives as early as 1894.

When the first functioning diesel engine was built in Augsburg in 1897 Deutz entered a licensing agreement with German manufacturer MAN AG to build the engine.

In 1901 Deutz canceled the expensive licensing agreement with MAN after that company issued another license to the Petersburg-based firm Nobel and hopes for huge export business with Russia dimmed.

In 1906 Peter Klöckner was elected to the Deutz board of directors.

In 1907 Deutz hired famous auto engineer Ettore Bugatti and made plans to build cars in Berlin.

In 1909 Bugatti left Deutz to set up his own business.

In 1911 Deutz introduced the first diesel motor without a compressor which the company built in different variants with one to four cylinders and performance ranging from 16 to 500 PS.

The last Deutz-Bugatti cars were made in 1912.

By Deutz's 50th anniversary in 1914, its motors for use in industry, agriculture, and in small ships had earned the company an international reputation.

In 1919 Klöckner became vice-president of Deutz board of directors.

In 1924 Deutz entered an agreement with Maschinenbauanstalt Humboldt AG, which had fallen into financial trouble.

The two Cassani brothers invented and built the first diesel tractor in 1927 when they were still in their early 20s.

After several years in the red, Humboldt, with partner Deutz, turned a small profit once again in 1929.

1930: Company merges with Maschinenbauanstalt Humboldt AG and Motorenfabrik Oberursel to become Humboldt-Deutzmotoren AG.

In July 1933 Deutz management decided to build a model series of 50 trucks.

Peter Klöckner did not live to witness the destruction of his plants; he died on October 5, 1940.

Things finally changed for the better with the currency reform in West Germany in 1948 after which the German economy gradually normalized again.

Due to unparalleled enthusiasm among all its employees to rebuild the company, Deutz exceeded its prewar results in 1951.

1953: KHD becomes independent again.

Exports reached 40 percent of sales in 1964 and continued to grow during the following decades.

The first German combine harvesters with hydrostatic drives are made at the Lauingen plant in 1965 where they are also successful in tests.

In 1985 Deutz acquired a majority share in Motoren-Werke Mannheim AG (MWM), a manufacturer of a full range of water-cooled motors.

After it reported a loss of DM 285 million in 1987, Deutsche Bank took over the share majority from the Henle family, Klöckner's heirs.

That venture turned out to be a financial disaster, and Deutz-Allis was sold to AGCO in 1988.

1992: KHD AG is transformed into a management holding company.

A brand-new state-of-the-art DM 600 million production plant opened in Cologne-Porz in 1993.

In 1998 the company's fate seemed to turn around again when Swedish auto maker Volvo AB signed a contract with Deutz, making it Volvo's main supplier of diesel motors for construction equipment, trucks, buses, marine, and other applications.