10 Classic Cars With Torque

These are the cars that proved diesel power was an equally good alternative to gasoline, and superior when it came to daily, practical uses.

There is no doubt that gasoline is the wonder fuel, birthing cars that put down thrilling performance – and sometimes the best tailpipe soundtracks. As much as gas engines are celebrated by enthusiasts, diesel has always been at the forefront of heavy lifting. Once a realm of heavy industrial machinery and commercial vehicles, diesel found its way to the passenger car market in the thirties with the Mercedes-Benz 260D.

From then on, diesel has charted its own way towards popularity, helped along by key attributes like overall robustness, longer engine life (thanks to low-compression operations), and the sheer torque it can produce. Yet, there is an equally wide spectrum of classic cars that rely on diesel power to accomplish the roles they were built for, right from heavy haulage to ferrying white-collar individuals in luxury.

Some of the classic cars in this list have since been discontinued, and yet the diesel engines under their hoods either morphed into modern versions or sparked off a race of sorts among manufacturers to provide similar offerings thanks to the things they achieved.

This list was compiled using and cross-referencing data from sources like EPA.

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

20 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

400 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

17 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

$2850

Tank Capacity

20 gallons

Think about diesel engines, and the first image that pops up in your mind is a pickup truck. And so it was natural that this list would begin with a pickup truck. However, the Chevrolet El Camino is no ordinary hauler, acting equally well as a performance car. Built as an answer to the surprisingly popular Ford Ranchero, the first-generation coupe utility vehicle from Chevy bowed in 1959. Variants over subsequent generations sported a good selection of engines, from duty to sporty.

The engine in focus here is the Oldsmobile LF9 V8, which made it to the fifth-gen El Camino in 1982. LF9 was also one of the most popular diesel engines of the eighties, powering several different GMC cars during the time. Thanks to this motor, the El Camino could load and haul some serious tonnage, increasing its versatility from a regular Ute.

Manufacturer

Cummins

Production Years

1984-present

Configuration

Inline-6

Displacement

5.9 liters (360 cu in)

Power

160-215 hp

Torque

400-420 lb-ft

Fuel

Diesel

Noteworthy Applications

Dodge Ram Cummins

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

11 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

330 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

10 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

$1300 / 10,000 miles

Tank Capacity

30 gallons

The success story of Dodge is marked with poignant moments like the one in 1989. Falling behind the competition in the late 1980s, the company delivered a stroke of genius shaped like a truck that we know as the Dodge Ram Cummins.

Although diesel pickups were not new, it was the Cummins B-series and its sheer capability that spawned an entirely new class of heavy-duty pickups, producing torque that was fit more for industrial use than hauling mere farm produce. This formula caught on wildly, and Dodge turned the competition on its head! The other manufacturers had to follow suit and come up with trucks that could take on the mighty Ram, featuring a turbocharged 5.9-liter straight-six. The resounding success eventually allowed Ram to become its own automaker, now called Ram Trucks.

Related:Looking Back At The First Generation Cummins-Powered Dodge Ram Truck

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

20 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

350 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

17 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

$1900 / 10,000 miles

Tank Capacity

17.7 gallons

Marketed as a personal luxury vehicle, the Monte Carlo debuted in its fourth-gen avatar in 1981. The 1982 example is a particularly unique car for the fact that it received a big, hunky diesel V8. The Oldsmobile LF9 has powered a multitude of cars since it was introduced in 1981,

Under the Monte Carlo’s hood, it would produce 105 hp and 200 lb-ft, enough to get the luxury car moving in a hurry if need be. The advantage of a good small-block diesel engine makes it a rather good fit for a classic coupe like the Monte Carlo. Unfortunately, the first-gen LF9 was rather fragile, and early examples of the 82 model year suffer from reliability issues. It was fuel-efficient despite its size, and one of the torque-heavy cars in its class - an irresistible combination!

Manufacturer

Mercedes-Benz

Production Years

1974-1991

Configuration

Inline-5

Displacement

3.0 liters (183 cu in)

Power

227 hp

Torque

184 lb-ft

Fuel

Diesel

Noteworthy Applications

300 SD, MB100 D AMG 3.0

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

22 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

475 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

27.1 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

$2600

Tank Capacity

21.6 gal

Ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at the very genesis of S-Class as we know it today. It began with the W116 which debuted in 1972. The 300 SD went on sale in 1978, sporting an interesting OM617 engine. It was a turbocharged inline-5 diesel motor good for 227 hp and 184 lb-ft. Here again, the automotive industry found a favorite combination: a luxury saloon with a torquey, sprightly diesel engine.

The present Mercedes-Benz S-Class still offers a diesel engine option today. It is even more significant for the fact that Mercedes is the only company to have extracted more than 50% thermal efficiency from a diesel engine. The OM617 can easily be regarded as one of the 10 best diesel engines ever, such is its reputation for reliability.

Manufacturer

Volkswagen Group

Production Years

1978-present

Configuration

Inline-5

Displacement

2.5 liters

Power

118 hp

Torque

203 lb-ft

Fuel

Diesel

Noteworthy Applications

Mercedes-Benz 300 SD, Audi 100

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

22 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

470 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

25 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

$1800 / 10000 miles

Tank Capacity

21.3 gallons

Audi began pioneering diesel engines ever since they launched the Audi 100 in 1989. It also happened to be the first Audi to wear the TDI label. Every company has one thing it is excellent at. Audi is good at making diesel-engined cars that give gasoline engines a run for their money. It all began with the company’s first-ever turbocharged straight-five engine, code-named 1T. Putting down 118 hp and 195 lb-ft from a 2.5-liter turbodiesel straight-five motor, the Audi 100 was the first to bring TDI power to the masses.

The compelling argument playing in the Audi’s favor is its rally lineage. Not only was the engine proven to be reliable thanks to the car’s first generation, but the entire platform was also race-proven in some of the world’s most demanding rallies. Now if you have a luxury car that stems from a rally champ, and offers one of the world’s most reliable engines, wouldn’t it be your natural choice?

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

15 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

280 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

14 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

$2000 / 10000 miles

Tank Capacity

19 gallons

The ninth-generation F-150 had been around since 1991, while the Power Stroke made it to dealer floors in late 1994. This was a time when the American companies were reeling from the blow dealt to them by Dodge Ram Cummins’. Ford was among those who subsequently pushed a new version of the F-150 with a big-block turbocharged diesel engine.

The Power Stroke became popular in its own right among owners who wanted an F-150 but needed diesel power. It also happened to be the first diesel engine to cross the 500 lb-ft mark, albeit in the late nineties. The real clincher was the engine’s bulletproof reliability, as vouched for by different independent sources. The Power Stroke adds to the F-150’s long list of master moves that impacted the industry much more than the consumers.

Related: Power Stroke Vs PowerBoost: Decide Which F-150 You Should Buy

Manufacturer

General Motors

Production Years

1982-2000

Configuration

V8

Displacement

6.5 liters (395 cu in)

Power

160-215 hp

Torque

290-440 lb-ft

Fuel

Diesel

Noteworthy Applications

Hummer H1, Humvee, Chevrolet C/K

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

10 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

420 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

10 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

N/A

Tank Capacity

42 gallons

As the famous story goes, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s evident interest in the Humvee spawned the beastly Hummer H1 for civilians. It was an ostentatious display of excess, which also translated to the diesel motor under its hood. The Detroit Diesel is a direct descendant of the LF9 which itself was a prolific motor powering close to 30 different cars.

However, the Hummer H1 added the engine’s strengths to its own capability, in the process becoming one of the hardiest off-road SUVs to be made.

The 6.5-liter Detroit Diesel V8 specific to the H1 made up to 215 hp and 440 lb-ft. There was no breaking speed records even with that much performance, for the Hummer weighed close to 10,000 lbs. But with the H1, it was always about the sheer presence and the power to move it, rather than proving a point or shattering any performance record.

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

10 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

340 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

10 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

N/A

Tank Capacity

34 gal

Yes, it is not officially a classic yet, but the first Silverado to sport the Duramax engine was originally launched in 1998! The Chevrolet Silverado’s Cummins engine was derived from the prolific GM LF9 V8. The Duramax turned Chevrolet’s truck fortunes around, and is still available in Chevy trucks today, in its modern avatar.

The Silverado name itself needs no introduction. One of the trinity of pickup trucks that dominate the US, the Chevrolet Silverado descends from the C/K Series to become the new flagship of Chevrolet trucks. The rise in its popularity was boosted by the Duramax diesel engine, opening up the truck’s capability for bigger applications. Today there’s a Silverado for every taste, but it’s the Duramax-powered truck that got the ball rolling for the full-size Chevy pickup truck.

Manufacturer

BMW

Production Years

1983-1991

Configuration

Inline-6

Displacement

2.4 liters (149 cu in)

Power

84-114 hp

Torque

112-162 lb-ft

Fuel

Diesel

Noteworthy Applications

BMW 5 Series, Vixen RV, Lincoln Continental

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

24 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

430 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

25 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

$2400

Tank Capacity

18 gal

The grand Lincoln Continental is the USA’s version of the turbodiesel luxury sedan, a segment the Mercedes-Benz 300 SD created. As such, it got all the luxury appointments of the time, and a spacious, sumptuous interior. The Continental commanded a presence, unlike anything on the road. And finally, it got the super-reliable BMW-sourced M21 engine to make formidable power and torque. Today, the same luxury can be bought for quite affordable prices and still keeps up with modern cars.

The straight-six turbocharged diesel engine is more than just a torque monster. The 1973 oil crisis shaped the development of this engine, as engineers were looking for ways to extract more power and yet more fuel economy from newer engines. BMW modified their existing M20 gas engine and found themselves with a winner on their hands in the M21. Lincoln was one of the brands that benefited from the M21 thanks to its robust build and durability.

Fuel Type

Diesel

EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

37 mpg

EPA-Estimated Range

709 miles

Owner MPG Estimates

35 mpg

Annual Fuel Costs

$2000 / 10000 miles

Tank Capacity

19.2 gal

As diesel cars go, this estate happens to be the epitome of versatility. Introduced first as a saloon and later in the wagon form, the Volvo 850 is part of a proud lineage of Volvo estates that outlast generations of humans. In fact, Volvo even sold a sportier “R" version in the States that is hands down one of the best cars on the planet.

So what made the 850 tick? For starters, it was one of the safest cars of its time. Up next was the boxy design, which offered class-leading space inside. Then there was the turbodiesel engine’s performance: enough power to cruise at decently high speeds, and torque to haul all the stuff you could fit in it. A diesel station wagon with decent fuel economy, good space, and excellent safety suddenly became an irresistible proposition, eating into the sales from a lot of different segments.

Hrushikesh is a passionate motorhead since childhood and a copywriter for the last six years.He strated writing blogs for automotive publications while studying to become a mechanical engineer.Now works at an automotive production house, churning out fantastic scripts that feature cars, motorcycles, and some of the best stories you'll ever watch on PowerDrift!He is also an avid traveller, motorcycling across the country for the past nine years.Hrushikesh currently rides a Hero XPulse 200 4V, and is willing to do anytihing to get his hands on a 2010 Audi R8 GT.