TURBINE DREAMS

AS RARE as the Chrysler turbine is you don’t have to look far to recognise design elements used in other production cars of the era. As the owner of a ‘61-63 generation Ford Thunderbird the front of the Turbine is bizarrely a familiar sight and is explained by Elwood Engel’s time at Ford working on Thunderbird and Lincoln designs prior to moving to Chrysler in 1961.

After physically seeing a Chrysler Turbine on display at the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles back in 2008, my first impression clearly lured me as a fan not only by the striking orange lustre but that unmistakable simulated turbine console that runs through the entire vehicle. Amazingly items from the Turbine campaign still exist, including some that I have acquired such as a brass Perpetual Calendar that spanned from 1962-1989 and an original sales brochure complete with a Chrysler ink stamp. If only they built the ragtop version in candy apple red!