It’s an Engine Jim, but not as we know it … (UPDATE: surviving 4 cylinder !)

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Many incredible futuristic things we have seen in early episodes of “Star Trek” have already become common in our days now. Captain James T. Kirk and Chief Engineer Scotty had communicators, we now have mobile phones. But not always revolutionary concepts make it into the real world. Have you ever heard of a Supercharged Semi-Constant-Compression Two Stroke V8 engine that only uses 4 spark plugs? This very special engine, designed and built ca. 1925 by Engineer Everett R. Burtnett for the Automotive Valves Co. of Los Angeles, was supposed to be more economic, lower in manufacturing and maintenance costs, more reliable and more silent than the conventional 2- and 4-stoke engines of it’s day and was considered the future for engine design in all applications to come and had a potential of doubling the miles per gallon. So why don’t we have one in our cars today and why did it not become a success? Did the Automotive Valves Co not find investors? Were there technical difficulties? We don’t know. Was Everett R. Burtnett the inventor of the principle or was it invented by someone else? Are there living relatives who can tell us? The only car known surviving with a Burtnett-Brunell engine is in the Petersen Museum. What we show here are the only known published materials on this engine-type. Leslie Kendall, the Curator of the Petersen museum would love to hear if anybody can provide other information: [email protected] (Pictures courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum; text Bart Oosterling)
See ‘Read more’ for engine function description and historic details.
UPDATE by Kit Foster who sens a photo he made of the engine of apparently a four cylinder Burtnett-Brunell !. Most probably the sole surviving example.

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