12,000 M48 Patton Tanks Were Built: The Original M48 Ran on Gasoline and Could Only Go 135 Miles. The Diesel Version More Than Doubled It.

Early M48s carried a Continental AV1790 air-cooled gasoline V12 producing 810 horsepower, and suffered persistent engine, transmission, track and suspension problems. From the M48A3 onward the tank used a Continental AVDS-1790 twin-turbocharged diesel, lifting combat range from 135 miles to 288. Engine maintenance remained a problem for the tank's entire career.