The document discusses the history and operation of different types of car engines, including: - The first car invented in 1769 had a separate steam engine that required frequent stops to build steam power and had a maximum speed of only 4km/h. - Diesel engines compress only air and ignite fuel injected into the combustion chamber via heat from the compressed air, without spark plugs. - Petrol/gasoline engines use spark ignition and were first built practically in 1876 in Germany. - Engine operation involves intake, compression, combustion (power stroke), and exhaust cycles to convert fuel into motion via internal combustion.