Detroit Diesel Corporation (Detroit)
As a brand of Daimler, Detroit takes advantage of the research and development capabilities of the commercial vehicle brands of Daimler Trucks North America.
The brand’s history began in 1938. That year, General Motors formed the GM Diesel Division — the ancestor to Detroit Diesel. The needs of tanks, landing craft, road building equipment and standby generators meant that the first engines had to be compact, lightweight, two-cycle products. It was during this epic time that a tradition of strength, quality and dependability was born.
Meanwhile, in the late 1950's and 1960's, GM Diesel also began to focus on developing a worldwide distribution network of independent, authorized distributors and dealers to provide parts and service. In 1965, GM Diesel became Detroit Diesel Engine Division. Then, just five years later, General Motors consolidated the company with the closely allied transmission and gas turbine businesses of the Allison Division — forming the Detroit Diesel Allison Division. For the next 20 years, the Detroit Diesel Allison Division grew. By 2000, Detroit Diesel was a dynamic and noted company — both within the trucking industry, and the investment community. Today, Detroit Diesel is a subsidiary of Daimler — designing, manufacturing, selling and servicing a complete line of medium and heavy-duty diesel and alternative fuel engines for the commercial vehicle market. With a worldwide network of more than 800 authorized distributor and dealer locations, Detroit has become a global leader in the diesel engine industry.
Working with other development locations, the highly successful component and engine manufacturer Detroit Diesel developed the new DD family of engines (the DD13, DD15 and DD16) for the North American market. The Detroit Diesel BlueTec SCR technology is setting a further future-proof milestone in the history of the diesel engine. Engines from Detroit Diesel with BlueTec SCR technology are offered in North American trucks from Freightliner and Western Star. The fuel consumption of Class 8 trucks (comparable with the heavy-duty trucks from the European 40 ton category) will be cut by about five percent thanks to BlueTec SCR technology. (www.daimler.com)