SubjectsHistory FactsFactsIP FactoidsWeird Facts The first diesel engine ran on peanut oil. By IP Factly - Jun 23, 2016 0 4 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Image credit: Adam Engelhart/cc 2.0 When Rudolf Diesel came up with the diesel engine, his first prototype used peanut oil. His invention was so efficient it quickly replaced steam engines. Unfortunately, though, his death remains a mystery to this day.