Today’s episode is all about the invention of the Wankel Rotary Engine! German inventor Felix Wankel devised “a new type of engine, half turbine, half reciprocating” when he was just 17 years old, but wouldn’t get to see his creation under the hood of a production car for another 45 years. Luckily a lot happened in Felix’s life along the way, including running multiple machine shops in his mother’s backyard, inventing a three wheeled car called “the Devil Beetle”, and getting some help from colleagues who may or may not have been adorable animated forest creatures. Part 1 of 2.

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