Lenoir gas engine. 19th-century illustration of the 2-cylinder compression gas engine of 1859 by French engineer Etienne Lenoir. 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. The first practical gas engines were developed in the 1860s. This one was built by the Mignon and Rouart engineering company. 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.