Leading manufacturer of diesel engines US-based Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) – a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler – has through its Middle East distributor Genavco enhanced its market presence in the region.

Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, DDC is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and service of heavy-duty diesel and alternative fuel engines, automotive diesel engines and engine-related products.
The QS-9000 certified DDC offers a complete line of engines from 22 to 10,000 horsepower for the on-highway, off-road and automotive markets. The company services these markets directly and through a worldwide network of more than 2,700 authorised distributor and dealer locations.
Elaborating on its origin, a spokesman says: “DDC’s origin can be traced back to 1938 with the formation of General Motor’s (GM) diesel division. With the outbreak of World War II, the relatively compact, lightweight, two-cycle engine developed by the company became in great demand for powering standby generators, tanks, landing craft and road-building equipment. After the war, DDC further developed its heavy-duty engine products for various commercial markets, including the growing on-highway truck market.
“In 1957, GM Diesel introduced the Series 53 and Series 71 engines for both on-highway and off-road use. The 1950s and 1960s saw the development of a worldwide distribution network of independent, authorised distributors and dealers to provide parts and service to the markets it was serving. In 1965, GM Diesel became Detroit Diesel Engine Division and five years later GM consolidated the company with the closely allied transmission and gas turbine businesses of the Allison Division in Indianapolis to form the Detroit Diesel Allison Division.
“In 1988, DDC – a joint venture company between Penske Corporation and GM – began operations as the successor to the heavy-duty diesel engine business of the Detroit Diesel Allison Division.
“In 1987, the company introduced the Series 60 engine, a new, four-cycle, heavy-duty diesel engine and the first production engine with integrated electronic controls as a standard feature. Developed to meet the demand for cleaner and more fuel-efficient heavy-duty engines, it grew in popularity to become the number one heavy-duty diesel engine in the North American Class 8 truck market.
“By October 1993, the company completed a successful initial public offering of common stock to become a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock symbol DDC.”
In October 2000, DaimlerChrysler completed a ‘tender offer’ for all of the outstanding shares of DDC, including the 48.6 per cent ownership interest of Penske Corporation. Following the acquisition, DaimlerChrysler combined various engine and other powertrain component activities (including DDC, MTU-Friedrichshafen and Mercedes-Benz industrial engines) in the commercial vehicle division under a new business unit named DaimlerChrysler Powersystems, an organisation with over 34,000 employees and combined revenues of $7 billion.