Otto petrol engine. 19th-century illustration of an early design of petrol engine produced by German engineer Nikolaus Otto. This is a form of internal combustion engine, produced by Otto in 1876 for industrial applications. It used petrol for fuel, rather than the gas fuels used by his earlier engines. It was later adapted for transport purposes, forming the basis of today's car engines. Artwork from 'Moteurs' (1911) by French civil engineer Max de Nansouty (1854-1913), part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.