CHRYSLER TURBINE
The jet age on four wheels
Jet aircraft were the epitome of speed and beauty in the 1960s, so it probably seemed like a good idea at the time to build ... a jet-powered car. And Chrysler set about to create a shrieking show machine like no other.
Fraught with all sorts of practicality problems that ultimately doomed it, however, this fleet of 55 exotic test vehicles nonetheless propelled the company’s reputation as a leader in automotive engineering and design.
Chrysler Corporation began studying turbine power as far back as the early 1930s and by 1954 had developed a working prototype.
Although difficult to tame for the street, turbine power appeared to offer tremendous potential, not to mention profit.
The turbine’s primary advantage could be summed up in one word; simplicity. With about one-fifth the moving parts of a conventional V-8 internal-combustion engine, a turbine would conceivably reduce production costs. A gaze into the crystal ball had Chrysler licking its lips: no more tuneups; little if any oil consumption; easy cold-weather starts; and extended engine life. A turbine engine also resisted stalling and could burn a variety of fuels, from gasoline, diesel fuel and kerosene, to home heating oil and certain vegetable-based oils. More remarkably, drivers could simply switch between fuel types. It seemed too good to be true. First, however, as with any experimental design, there were huge hurdles to jump before moving to full production.
For example, a typical V-8 idles at about 750 revolutions per minute. The turbine? Try 22,000, while burning considerable amounts of fuel in the process (maximum revs were more than double that). Operating temperatures were also high, requiring exotic (and expensive) materials that could withstand the heat. Engine response was sluggish, although once under way, overall performance was impressive. The whine produced by the engine, however, was deafening.
However, by 1962, Chrysler’s top brass was so sufficiently encouraged by its engineering team’s progress
that the company ordered a full-scale, real-world test of a turbine-equipped automobile. The vehicle would not only have the latest in under-the-hood technology, but the car itself would be a head-turning show piece that would be easily recognized.
The design portion of the program was turned over to chief stylist Elwood Engel who penned a gorgeous two-door hardtop with turbine-themed headlights, wheel covers and tail lamps. Even the gauges and floor console that ran the full length of the interior carried the turbine look.
The first Turbine coupe went on public display in May of 1963. Each was hand-built by the Ghia design studios in Turin, Italy, at a cost of about $50,000, which was a small fortune 50-plus years ago. All were painted Turbine Bronze and given black vinyl roofs. Standard equipment included leather seats, whitewall tires, AM radio plus power windows, power steering and power brakes.
The completed bodies were shipped to a former Checker cab assembly plant in Detroit, Mich., where Chrysler employees installed the latest version of the turbine. Rated at 130 horsepower (Chrysler claimed that performance was similar to a 200-horse V-8), the light 185-kilogram engine was connected to a three-speed automatic transmission.
Most of the cars were loaned to drivers who were picked from more than 25,000 applicants. All the participants had to do was pay the fuel costs and maintain an evaluation log book. Five of the 55 test cars were displayed in shopping malls and dealerships throughout North America and in various countries around the world.
During the two-year, $120-million study, more than 200 people drove the Turbine for extensive periods. Most reported positively about their experiences and, given the intensive degree of marketing support, the public, as well as most Chrysler dealers, fully expected a variation of the car to make it into production.
Ultimately, though, what seemed to be a sure-fire hit would never take off. Chrysler decided that the negatives outweighed the positives.
With the import permits on the 55 Italian-made cars set to expire, Chrysler scrapped 46 of the Turbines with the remaining nine shipped to museums.
Chrysler didn’t immediately give up on the technology and maintained its interest in turbines until the early 1980s. By then, the focus had turned to conservation from pure research and development.
The Turbine’s high-pitched song was silenced, but the significant effort and money that Chrysler invested in this unique project pushed the automotive envelop to its outer limits.
Malcolm Gunn is a feature writer with Wheelbase Media. He can be reached on the Web at www.theoctanelounge.com by clicking the contact link. Wheelbase supplies automotive news and features to newspapers across North America.