In 1962, Chrysler delivered 50 turbine-powered cars to families across the country for testing. The Chrysler Turbine is incredibly rare; Only 55 were produced during its test runs, 46 of which were melted into scrap. Jay Leno, no stranger to the acquisition of unique cars, was able to obtain one in 2008 from the Walter P. Chrysler Museum. The car was built in Italy by Carrozzeria Ghia and the engine could make 130hp and 425 lb-ft of torque.
Discussing its special significance, Leno said “I think it's the most collectible American car—it was so different. Most of all, the Chrysler Turbine is a reminder that all the cool stuff used to be made in the U.S. I hope it will be again.”
Let’s learn more about the ultra-rare turbine-powered car and how Jay Leno became involved in its little-known history.
The Original Concept
The innovative Turbine concept was experimental and never actually made it to full production. Although it may have offered a slight performance boost, its excessively royal price tag of $16,000 was enough to discourage the average consumer. At the time, a comparable car with a V8 could be obtained for around $5000.
Chrysler was not new to the turbine-powered design; They were part of a military contract around 1945 devoted to the development of turboprop engines. By 1955, they had already created the 1954 Plymouth Belvedere and Plymouth Turbine Special. In 1961, designer Virgil Exner would present the Chrysler Turboflite, a stunning concept car powered by a third-gen C2A turbine engine.
Seven Generations Of Testing
During releases of turbine prototypes, Chrysler conducted consumer surveys with 54% of respondents indicating they would consider buying a jet car. Approximately 30,000 applications were received when Chrysler announced it would provide a limited number of test vehicles to consumers. Of these, 203 families would eventually be selected.
These lucky few were instructed not to race the car and to keep it in the U.S. during testing. People were undoubtedly moved by the distinguished body style and unprecedented propulsion of the car. Mark Olson, whose family got the opportunity to test out the Turbine, said “You never got to drive the car. You’d start it and stop it for people."
Enhanced Cooling
Due to the significant amount of heat the engine produced, the Turbine was fitted with special mechanics to support cooling. Two regenerators redirected hot gases through the heat exchanger to reduce temperatures. The regenerator was first developed by Chrysler in 1954, proposed to heighten fuel economy while reducing exhaust temperatures.
Jay Leno gives credit to the engineers for the implementation of the regenerator: “No, the whole genius about the Chrysler Turbine was they invented a regeneration feature that made the exhaust cooler than a piston engine’s."
Distinguished Mechanics
A 3-speed TorqueFlite transmission gave the Turbine a responsive feel. It used approximately a fifth of the moving parts necessary for a conventional piston engine. Although the turbine engine had some efficient mechanics, it would not see widespread acceptance in production cars due to its price and unresolved flaws.
Dynamic Styling
The Turbine was designed by Elwood Engel and featured some styling elements from other cars in his portfolio such as the ’58 Ford Thunderbird and ’61 Lincoln Continental. The Chrysler body was hand-built in Turin, Italy by the famous Carrozzeria Ghia before returning to Detroit for transmission installation.
Fuel Types And Emissions
In addition to its high cost, the engine was not emissions-free; It produced toxic nitrogen oxide as a byproduct which would render it non-compliant with policies such as the Clean Air Act. The Chrysler was able to achieve some impressive fuel economy, an average of 14.5mpg and 19mpg on the highway.
The types of fuel it could run were varied; Anything with flammable properties could be used to run the Turbine. Adolfo Mateos, then president of Mexico, successfully tested the engine using Tequila as fuel in 1964.
Jay Leno's 1963 Chrysler Turbine
In an unfortunate move, the automaker melted down most of the Chrysler Turbines (46 out of 55), most likely to cover the exorbitant import costs they racked up for the initial builds.
The remaining Turbines were donated to a variety of museums, including the Smithsonian, Henry Ford Museum, and Petersen Automotive Museum. Jay Leno remembered the Turbine from when he was young, witnessing a long line of people waiting patiently to try out the Turbine car.
"The Most Collectible American Car"
In 2008, Jay Leno fulfilled his childhood dream by obtaining a rare Chrysler Turbine from the Walter P. Chrysler Museum. The museum, located in Auburn Hills, Michigan is a mecca of rare vintage cars and is probably one of Leno’s favorite places to visit. In fact, he was a host at a fundraising event for the museum that also featured NASCAR legend Richard Petty, Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca, and designer Virgil Exner.
Sources: Road & Track, Popular Mechanics, Hemmings