The story of Perkins started when Frank Perkins needed a diesel engine small enough to fit commercial cars or light vans, he knew that if he could produce such an engine there would be a great need for it as there was no one else who created such an engine. He decided to partner with Charles Chapman, a genius of an engineer, and together they worked in Peterborough in a two-room ground floor office. Together with three other employees they built the Vixen, the world’s first high-speed diesel 4 cylinder engine, and within four years their new company was producing around 556 engines a year.

When the company first started, Frank had to go looking for customers in the rapidly growing motor industry, he fitted his new engine in a Hillman car manufactured by Humber Cars with a cruising speed of 50 mph and an engine speed of slightly over 3000 rpm, the engine was an immediate success. However, he also tried adding the same engine to a Commer truck but it required some adjustments to produce enough power for the truck, so he consulted with Thomas Keep, the managing director of Commer, to understand the requirements the company needed. The modified engine (named the Wolf engine) was accepted for the Commer production line and was exhibited in 1933 at the commercial vehicle exhibition.

Due to the diesel engine being much cheaper to run than petrol engines, the popularity and need for diesel engines increased and so did the demand. Another company in the UK started to convert the Wolf Engine for marine use and the Admiralty was expressing an interest in the possible use of this engine in the Royal Navy Ships. The company continued to grow and expand its product lines as it gained more recognition.
Some of Perkins iconic engines include the P6 series, in particular the P6354 which remained in production for 30 years, the ultra compact 400 series in the 10.2-50 kW range, and the fuel efficient yet powerful 1200 series that delivers 61.5-240 kW. Today, Perkins produces diesel engineers which are used by cars, loaders, marine propulsion, harvesters, irrigation systems, excavators, compressors, and more as their engines cover small engines, compact engines, high-power engines, and larger engines.

Perkins continues to support their customers and provide them with the products they need while maintaining their high-quality production and commitment to the environment and community.