The innovators
TURBOCHARGED engines are everywhere, with all but a few automakers applying this tech to meet strict emissions laws without compromising power output or driving pleasure. Back in the day, though, this device was met with lifted brows.
Upon its introduction in 1961, the Oldsmobile F-85 consisted of sedan and station-wagon body styles. Later that year, two coupé variants, the Club and Cutlass, were added. Both featured a highcompression version of the fourdoor’s Buick-sourced aluminium V8 petrol sending 138 kw and 312 N.m to the rear wheels.
In 1962, cosmetic changes such as a revised grille and new interior trim were made to the F-85 line-up. The biggest update, though, was the addition of a more powerful model, the Jetfire. The uprated variant was based on the coupé and made use of the same high-compression 3,5-litre V8. The Jetfire, however, was equipped with “something extra”, as one of its ads described it. Lifting the bonnet revealed a Garrett T5 turbocharger, making the Jetfire the first production car to use such a device.
The small-diameter turbo was developed by American aerospace manufacturer Garrett Airesearch – now known as Honeywell – the same company which produced air-expansion cooling turbines for the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, the United States’ first jet airplane. The T5 unit featured an integral wastegate and had a boost capacity of 34 kpa at 2 200 r/min, which gave the standard coupé models’ naturally aspirated V8 a healthy kick. The turbopetrol produced 160 kw (215 hp) and 407 N.m, which meant for every cubic inch, it made one horsepower. The Jetfire sprinted from 0-100 km/h in less than 10,0 seconds and could reach 177 km/h.
During development, the Michigan-based automaker was met with an array of complications; one of them being the combination of high compression ratio (10,25:1) and forced induction, which resulted in spark knock when the throttle was applied with gusto. To solve this problem, Oldsmobile built a fluid-injection system spraying a mixture of distilled water and methanol on the combustion chamber to cool it and ensure the fuel burnt smoothly.
Ultimately, though, the Jetfire was a commercial failure. Only 3 765 were sold (compared with the standard model’s 33 018) and Olds soon halted production.