MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH is a German manufacturer of commercial
internal combustion engines founded by
Wilhelm Maybach
Wilhelm Maybach (; 9 February 1846 – 29 December 1929) was an early German engine designer and industrialist. During the 1890s he was hailed in France, then the world centre for car production, as the "King of Designers".
From the late 19th ce ...
and his son Karl Maybach in 1909. Wilhelm Maybach was the technical director of
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (abbreviated as DMG, also known as ''Daimler Motors Corporation'') was a German engineering company and later automobile manufacturer, in operation from 1890 until 1926. Founded by Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900) and ...
(DMG), a predecessor company of the German multinational automotive corporation
Daimler AG, until he left in 1907. On 23 March 1909, he founded the new company, Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH (Aircraft Engine Manufacturing Corp), with his son Karl Maybach as director. A few years later the company was renamed to
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH (Maybach Engine Manufacturing Corp), which originally developed and manufactured diesel and petrol engines for
Zeppelins, and then railcars. The
Maybach Mb.IVa was used in aircraft and airships of World War I.
The company first built an experimental car in 1919, with the first production model introduced two years later at the Berlin Motor Show. Between 1921 and 1940, the company produced various classic opulent vehicles. The company also continued to build heavy duty diesel engines for marine and rail purposes. During World War II, Maybach
produced the engines for Germany's medium and heavy tanks. The company was renamed MTU Friedrichshafen in the 1960s and continued to supply the engines for the
Leopard 2
The Leopard 2 is a 3rd generation main battle tank originally developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s for the West German army. The tank first entered service in 1979 and succeeded the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West Germ ...
main battle tank.
MTU derives from meaning 'Motor (Engine) and Turbine Union'.
MTU Friedrichshafen remained a subsidiary of
DaimlerChrysler until 2006 when it was sold off to the
EQT IV private equity fund, becoming a part of the
Tognum Corporation.
Rolls-Royce Holdings and
Daimler AG acquired Tognum in 2011. In 2014, Tognum was renamed
Rolls-Royce Power Systems, having become a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Rolls-Royce Holdings.
The company manufactures
diesel engines for trains, ships, oil and gas installations, military vehicles, agriculture, mining and construction equipment, as well as
diesel generator
A diesel generator (DG) (also known as a diesel Genset) is the combination of a diesel engine with an electric generator (often an alternator) to generate electrical energy. This is a specific case of engine generator. A diesel compression-ig ...
s and
molten carbonate fuel cell
Molten-carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) are high-temperature fuel cells that operate at temperatures of 600 °C and above.
Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) were developed for natural gas, biogas (produced as a result of anaerobic digestion or ...
s.
History
* 1909: Foundation of Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH in Bissingen an der Enz as part of the
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, p ...
corporation. The company manufactures engines for airships.
* 1912: 1911/12 relocation to Friedrichshafen; the name is changed to Motorenbau GmbH.
* 1918: Motorenbau GmbH is renamed
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH. After the end of the First World War the company began to manufacture car engines.
* 1966: Merger of the two companies Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau Friedrichshafen GmbH and Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH to form Maybach Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau GmbH.
* 1969: Maybach Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau GmbH is renamed Motoren und Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH. The company is a subsidiary of
MTU München GmbH which is owned at equal shares by Daimler-Benz AG and
MAN AG until 1985.
* 1989: Incorporation of MTU Friedrichshafen in
Deutsche Aero-space AG (DASA), a company of the
Daimler-Benz Group.
* 1994: Cooperation of MTU Friedrichshafen with
Detroit Diesel Corporation
Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) is an American diesel engine manufacturer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America, which is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of the mulitinational D ...
* 1995: MTU Friedrichshafen and MTU München go their separate ways; MTU Friedrichshafen becomes a direct subsidiary of Daimler-Benz AG.
* 2001: MTU Motoren- und Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH is renamed MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH.
* 2005: In late 2005, the DaimlerChrysler Off-Highway business unit, including MTU Friedrichshafen and the Off-Highway division of Detroit Diesel Corporation, is sold to the Swedish financial investor EQT Partners.
* 2006: The business is transferred into the new holding company
Tognum
Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG is a German company owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings with holdings in engine manufacturing brands and facilities. The company previously traded, from 2006 to 2014, as Tognum AG. Prior to 2006, the core company – MTU ...
, with MTU Friedrichshafen as its core company.
* 2009: MTU Friedrichshafen celebrates its centenary. In the same year introduction of the new Series 1600, rounding off the performance range at the lower end of the product portfolio.
* 2011:
Rolls-Royce Holdings and
Daimler AG announced they were buying Tognum
* 2014: Tognum was renamed
Rolls-Royce Power Systems
* 2014: From 26 August
Rolls-Royce Power Systems became a 100 per cent subsidiary of
Rolls-Royce Holdings
Diesel engines
Gallery
File:Detroit Diesel bauma 2007.jpg, MTU / Detroit Diesel exhibition at a trade fair
File:MTU 20V4000M93.JPG, MTU 20V4000M93 engine
File:MTU croatiaboatshow.jpg, MTU marine engine
File:California-05789 - San Francisco Bay Ferry (20016717623).jpg, San Francisco Water Emergency Transportation Authority - Powered by custom emissions solution and MTU Series 4000 engines
File:Peter Stehlik - FDNY Three Forty Three - 2012.05.17.jpg, FDNY Fireboat Three Forty Three
See also
*
Bergen Marine
*
Daimler AG
*
Detroit Diesel
*
List of WWII Maybach engines
*
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH
*
Rolls-Royce Holdings
*
Rolls-Royce Power Systems
*
Wilhelm Maybach
Wilhelm Maybach (; 9 February 1846 – 29 December 1929) was an early German engine designer and industrialist. During the 1890s he was hailed in France, then the world centre for car production, as the "King of Designers".
From the late 19th ce ...
References
External links
*
History of the company
MTU spare partsMaybach tank enginesMTU Western U.S. Distributor: Pacific Power Group
{{Authority control
DaimlerChrysler
Rolls-Royce
Gas engine manufacturers
Defence companies of Germany
Diesel engine manufacturers
Companies based in Friedrichshafen
Marine engine manufacturers
Manufacturing companies established in 1909
1909 establishments in Germany
Engine manufacturers of Germany
Electrical generation engine manufacturers
Locomotive engine manufacturers