Not wishing to push our national pride too much; but Rick Mayne is a New
Zealander. he spent several years in jail according to 60 Mins, and it was
there that he got into engines. He then moved to Aussie for several years to
work on his engine, endured their jibes, then marketed the final product at
a series of "Tupperware" parties to raise money.
The engine is quite a simple concept; conventional motors have the
crankshaft at the bottom of the pistons, Mayne's works by placing up to
sixteen around the crankshaft. Its quite a cute setup. The result is that
grunty power can be worked out of a tiny motor.
Mayne was arrested when he came back to visit a dying relative (apparently
the IRD reckoned he owed them a million bucks) but he paid something and was
let out.
He's quite a wealthy man from what I hear, owns quite a few houses.
However, don't expect to see car companies pick up on it too soon. They
never do. Its a bit like a unique ceramic engine made here last year; half a
dozen moving parts with 1/3 better mileage and superior emission control.
They were going to make it in China, haven't heard anything since.
Dr J.