The original concept of combustion engines as we understand them dates as far back as the late 1800s. And while they are more or less a solved science today, they definitely didn't start that way.

Most modern gasoline and diesel-powered engines found in the cars and trucks seen on today's roadways rely on the four-cycle-engine principles developed in the late 1800s by Nikolaus Otto, Gottlieb ...

If you've ever looked under the bonnet of a car, the engine can seem like a maze of metal parts, pipes and wires. In reality, its job is quite simple: it turns fuel into the power that moves your car.