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Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik
Deutz AG is a German engine manufacturer. The company was founded by Nikolaus Otto, inventor of the four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine, in 1848 as N. A. Otto & Cie. Formerly, Deutz also produced agricultural machines like combine harvesters and tractors as well as commercial vehicles such as lorries and buses. (Deutz sold the agricultural machinery division to Societa Anonima Motori Endotermici (Same), an Italian company.) The company is located in Cologne and in 2004 was manufacturing liquid and air-cooled diesel engines. The larger engines in the Deutz range are manufactured in Mannheim, the production facility there having once belonged to a company called MWM which Deutz took over and which specialised in marine engines. This facility now produces engines for marine and power generation which can run on either fuel oils or gas fuels.
During the World War II, the company was ordered to produce artillery and took on the name 'Klöckner Humbolt Deutz AG' although both names have been used ever since, even by the company itself, until recently.
Parts and service are abundant in the Netherlands and Germany. In the United States and Canada, Deutz engines were viewed as esoteric, with parts expensive and often unavailable, until a network of strong distributors was established a few years ago. Service information is not as difficult to access in North America as it used to be due to the presence of a subsidiary based in Atlanta.
Deutz powered commercial vehicles were popular in the years 1960-1980,sold under the name of Magirus Deutz, but suffered from their continued use of a liquid free cooling system, with resulting misunderstanding.
Deutz powered equipment is being used in North America more frequently in Arctic (i.e. oil field & mining) conditions due to the simplicity of the air cooled designs. The air-cooled engines are also ideal for use in hot, desert conditions, the use of air-cooling means that they cannot freeze or boil-over.
They are also often found in skid loader vehicles, such as those produced by Gehl. Additionally, older Deutz tractors are still popular for their reliabilty and simple maintenance.
Deutz now concentrates on producing and selling engines under the "Deutz" brand and power generation systems under the "Deutz Power Systems" brand.
