The Micro Diesel was an American sideport diesel engine of 0.13 cuin. (2.13 cc) displacement which was manufactured in relatively small numbers in Detroit, Michigan between late 1947 and late 1948. The engine was built to very high standards and performed very well indeed. Purely on merit, it ranks as one of the finest model diesels to emerge from the early post-WW2 American model engine manufacturing industry. Its design showed some quite innovative thinking, in particular its use of a massive period of sub-piston induction by any normal standard.  

Sadly, the engine's market launch in December 1947 coincided with Ray Arden's introduction of the commercial miniature glow-plug, which immediately ended America's brief but very productive involvement with model diesel development. The Micro Diesel was a highly regrettable casualty of this situation. If the introduction of the all-conquering glow-plug had been delayed by even a year, there's little doubt that on merit alone it would have secured a high status among Americn modellers of the period.

Full details of this very interesting engine may be found in a separate article elsewhere on this web-site.