He qualified with top achievement at the completion of his apprenticeship, during and after which he did engineering units one day per week, night classes, and by correspondence.
"The revolution could not possibly occur in the short term, as a great deal of research and development must yet be undertaken, (but) ultimate development should see the first lightweight, reliable diesel engine and a near pollution* free petrol (gasoline) version suitable for a wide range of applications and contributing significantly to atmospheric control standards.
Under simulated urban and highway driving cycles, it produced fuel and emission results superior to the best selected engines of the era.
[citation needed] Fuel economy advantages of 50% were demonstrated against the best outboard marine engines and 20–25% under typical automobile operating conditions.
[citation needed] All licensing payments were conditional upon the delivery of engines meeting numerous high emissions standards, fuel economies and other technical criteria.
All deliveries met these criteria prior to Sarich's retirement in 1992, resulting in no dependent monetary penalties ever being incurred to that point in time.
[8] In 1989, the government offered an industry support package of A$15–16.5 million, which Sarich declined,[7][9] and he proceeded to make arrangements to establish operations in the United States.
He floated Orbital Engine Corporation in the US via an initial public offering that raised A$113.8 million in 1992[10] and the company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
[11] In January 1992, General Motors displayed its newest concept car called the "Ultralite", incorporating OCP technology, as its centrepiece at the Detroit International Auto Show.
[citation needed] In 1991, it was reported that Orbital Engine Corporation entered into a licensing agreement with Fiat, an Italian car manufacturer.
[12] Despite initial interest, Czechoslovakian manufacturer, Škoda, withdrew from licensing negotiations in 1989, citing poor economic conditions in the country.