The Gipsy engine was developed in 1927 by De Havilland Aircraft Co and was the company's first engine. The prototype demonstrated its potential when it was tested in a low wing racing plane.

Probably the greatest thing about the Gipsy I was its durability. It was the first small engine to be good for 500 hours between major overhauls. The engine was retroactively named the Gipsy I when the Gipsy II and Gipsy III were built in 1930.

The engine was used in many countries and on many different aircraft, most notably on the De Havilland DH-60 Gipsy Moth.