Cory tests water-run RP-made car

By Jo D. Garcia
Manila Bulletin
Saturday Morning, June 7, 1986

[DanielDingel.com Note: This is a text-encoded version of an original newspaper article as depicted in the photograph.]

President Aquino met yesterday with Daniel Dingel, a 53-year-old Filipino inventor said to have perfected the world's first water-powered car.

The President, together with Local Government Minister Aquilino Pimentel, test-ran the car around the Malacanang grounds and then ordered the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) to further examine the car and report on its finding immediately.

Before the President came out to see the converted Galant Super Saloon, which is said to consume only a gallon of tap water (and a few drops of gasoline to make the engine start) from Manila to Baguio, Pimentel drove the car, and examined its engine, then he examined the exhaust pipe and found no trace of soot in it.

"Imagine the billions of dollars this car could save us," he said. Pimentel had earlier sent a technical staff of six to examine Dingel's invention.

President Aquino also looked into the engine herself and asked Dingel a few questions about how it works.

Dingel said that this car, when mass-produced, would cost no more than an ordinary gas-fueled car. He also said that the car passed rigid tests here and in the United States, where he ran it from Detroit to Florida with only 60 liters of water and two liters of gasoline.

The subject of numerous articles published here and abroad, the car has been scrutinized by [so]me of the world's leading car manufacturers, like Mitsubishi, Nissan, General Motors, and BMW. Their verdict: it works.

Dingel, however, has refused to reveal the secret behind it. He only said that the secret is in the modifications he [...]

When the President asked if the previous administration had seen his invention, Dingel said that then Prime Minister Cesar Virata, and Minister of Energy Geronimo Velasco had examined the car, congratulated him, but that was the last time Dingel heard from them.

After riding in the car, President Aquino exclaimed: "This [...] the miracle I hav[e been] waiting for."

Dingel is a m[echanic]al engineer. H[e] [...] as mechanical [...]tant for Gener[al ...] and taught en[...] in a Japanese [...] for 10 years.