Gardner gas engine. 19th-century illustration of a vertical gas engine from the L. Gardner and Sons company of Manchester, UK. A gas engine is an internal combustion engine that runs on a gas fuel. Gas engines are usually used in heavy-duty industrial settings, such as factories. They were first produced in the 1860s. The L. Gardner and Sons company made gas engines from about 1895. Artwork from 'Moteurs' (1911) by French civil engineer Max de Nansouty (1854-1913), part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.