# What happened to Rudolf Diesel? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897 "2016-09-30T00:08:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897/1 "2016-09-30T00:08:50Z")
I have vague recollections of having read about this mystery many years ago, but this article fills in some blanks for me. > **[When the Inventor of the Diesel Engine Disappeared](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-inventor-diesel-engine-disappeared-180960635/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&no-ist)** > > Rudolf Diesel’s fate is still intriguing to this day 😕 ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897/2 "2016-09-30T00:17:38Z")
Are you perhaps not buying the suicide theory? If so, why not? Many people have committed suicide, due to dire financial circumstances, including some very intelligent individuals, such as Diesel ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897/3 "2016-09-30T01:23:26Z")
I was thinking the business folks that wanted him out of the way until it got to the bag of money and note given to his wife. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897/4 "2016-09-30T02:31:00Z")
I found this quote from the article odd, given that peanut oil is a vegetable oil: > …engines that could run on anything from vegetable oil to peanut oil. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 11:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897/5 "2016-09-30T11:15:03Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > Are you perhaps not buying the suicide theory? > If so, why not? I have no particular feelings one way or the other. Suicide? Maybe Something other than suicide? Maybe I just thought that the article was interesting. ---
**Author:** ![B.L.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/848f3c/32.png) [@B.L.E](https://community.cartalk.com/u/B.L.E)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 11:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897/6 "2016-09-30T11:34:26Z")
At this point of time, what difference does it make? Accident? Suicide? Foul play? It happened so long ago that even if it was foul play, the perpetrators are likely already in their graves by now. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897/7 "2016-09-30T15:12:26Z")
All we know is that Rudolf Diesel mysteriously disappeared on a trip across the English Channel. Whether he committed suicide or was pushed overboard we will never know. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897/8 "2016-09-30T20:09:46Z")
I agree that it was an interesting article ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-happened-to-rudolf-diesel/95897/9 "2016-10-01T14:37:00Z")
The story about his wife is hearsay. Why are you inclined to believe gossip?