Wankel, Felix

Wankel, Felix

(born Aug. 13, 1902, Lahr, Ger.—died Oct. 9, 1988, Lindau, W.Ger.) German engineer and inventor. In 1954 he completed the design of his distinctive engine, with an orbiting rotor in the shape of a curved equilateral triangle, which does the work done by the pistons in traditional reciprocating internal-combustion engines. Its advantages include light weight, few moving parts, compactness, low initial cost, fewer repairs, and relatively smooth performance. The first unit was tested in 1957, and from 1967 Japanese automobile company Mazda produced and developed the engine for a series of sports cars.