The Wilo engines, predominantly diesels, were manufactured in the Eastern Zone of Germany. They were the work of German diesel pioneer Wilhelm (“Willi”) Otto and were made between 1943 and 1966. The major production of these engines took place from 1950 onwards at several locations in the East German town of Dessau. 

The Wilo engines were well-designed and were manufactured to good standards in modest numbers, although material deficiencies limited the useful working lives of some of the earlier models. No serious attempts were ever made to export them to Western markets on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Consequently, they remain relatively obscure as far as the majority of engine collectors are concerned, being encountered somewhat infrequently on the international model engine market. 

A summary of the Wilo range along with bench tests of several examples may be found elsewhere on this website.