1963 Chrysler Turbine Car At The Chrysler Proving Grounds

[greasemonkey981]

Novel idea that Chrysler had, but I'm glad it never "took off". The gas mileage and maintenance costs would economically cripple most people. It is still nice to see a piece of history that still runs.

[BaddaBigBoom]

Why do Americans pronounce it "turban" ? (rather than turb*i*ne)

[malcauskas7]

Yes! This is history.

[BrentAudi]

Great looking and sounding car!

[loufalce]

Front end looks like the back of a 1961-1963 T Bird, but thats not bad.

[Oldbmwr100rs]

@loufalce I believe the same person did the styling for both, then the bodies were built in Italy by Ghia in I believe Turin. One of my auto instructors took one for a shoert drive in the late '60s at a chrysler open house back when he worked for them. He said it was nice..

[197022007]

BATMOBILEHAIRDRYER



[pheenix42]

Build a turbine-electric hybrid...turbine wouldn't have to spin at such outrageous RPMs, and the temps in the hot section would take care of most pollution issues.

[kasteman1]

Something bizarre from the Wiki page: "The engine would run on virtually anything and the president of Mexico tested this theory by running one of the first cars—successfully—on tequila."

[BeetleBerlin]

Cool

[willem01]

reminds me of the jetsons!!..it think its awsome, engine courld run on aything i looked it up on wiki...

[The6000Sabre]

From a time in America when we were allowed to believes in ourselves.

[Account6879]

sounds like a ufo.

[airlinesss]

lol ya, but ufo's do not exist

[ObiTrev]

Man that's loud!

[Corollaboi]

What's the top speed? I can't imagine that thing being able to get out of the way of people in a rush. I'm about to install oil slick dispensers on the back of my 72 Beetle to get people off my back when the light turns green.

[OneBadSuperbird]

I don't remember what the top speed on them is but it's really not too bad. I rode in the one that is at the St. Louis Museum of Transportation a few years back at the Monster Mopar Weekend and they really ain't all that slow off the line. I was thoroughly impressed.

[Alisterwolf66]

As I recall, Chrysler back in the day touted the performance as being comparable to a 200-something horsepower V8. I should expect it'd move out quite well, particularly developing 100% of its torque (at the power turbine) at 0rpm.

Man, I'd love to go for a scoot in one, someday! Such a unique and somehow beautiful car (while simultaneously being butt-ugly... Ghia at it's best!).

[Alisterwolf66]

C'mon... it's a V-dub! By its nature, it already has oil dispensers!

Kidding - I have a '74 1303S for a daily driver myself. The stinger seems pretty effective at keeping the idiots off my ass. Perhaps it's because a couple of good raps of the throttle will produce a nice backfire? Or at least leave a black smudge on their bumper/grille. Considering a flamethrower for it...

[Corollaboi]

Trust me I know, my daily drive for the work was about 60 miles. I'd have to add two quarts a week, we changed the seals and it still leaks. We are thinking the oil cooler is shot internally.

[Alisterwolf66]

Ouch. Which seals did you change? Get the flywheel O-ring (and gasket) in addition to the front main?

Sounds like it use a complete gasket set. Good thing they're cheap, huh?

[Corollaboi]

We changed all seals, push rods oil cooler front seal, main seal etc. Everything that came in the kit we used.

[Alisterwolf66]

We're getting off-topic... but probably need to split and re-seal the case (there's only one main seal, by the way - the pulley [rear] uses a 'scroll' seal and slinger).

[TeeBeeBad63]

looks kinda like a t-bird

[BlacKJesu5]

designed by the same guy

[piper4seeformerly]

how bout' this? how bout' this? you sounded like Robert Deniro for a second there. ;P

[bagelboi66]

Waaaay cool!

[GenericGene]

Interesting -

[Jprojasw]

Who was that driving. Get Smart?

[iunnox666]

Maxwell Smart.

[vcval]

i thought they were all crushed ???

[OneBadSuperbird]

Most all of the 50-60 1963 Turbine Cars were indeed crushed but about a dozen survived. Many are non-running examples but there are still a few running and driving cars. The ones owned by the Museum of Transportation and at least one of the ones still owned by Chrysler (the one in this video) are two that run and drive.

[vcval]

wow they are lovley and with running onalmost anything maybe they should look at turbine insted of hydrogen

hydrogen = good as a fuel

hydrogen = used to make electricty stupid and a waste

[MainVuper]

@OneBadSuperbird

why were they crushed :(?

[phileagfan]

They were crused and used to make oil drills for the Middle East! LMFAO!

[tomuss94]

@vcval One is also owned by Jay Leno

[raconter1]

I signed up in 1963 to be chosen to drive one of these cars. Chrysler decided on how to apportion the cars to the public, based on driving habits, number of miles driven, etc.

Unfortunately, I was not chosen. I forget how many cars there were in the fleet. Before this, they had a turbine in a 54 Plymouth! :) Jack

[RobbieStott]

sounds like a blow dryer :o

[CarHunter]

the sound of the turbine is SOO incredible!

but two questions: is the turbine (very) loud, especially when accelerating? and - if not - how did they manage to quiet the sound down? you know that?

thanks in advance, jonas

[OneBadSuperbird]

I'm not exactly sure what all the exhaust consisted of but the car really isn't that loud. There's a little bit of a muffled turbine roar as the car accelerates away from you. It really is amazing. This was over 40 years ago that these cars were built. It's a shame that the technology wasn't developed further.

[52111centrumcz]

@OneBadSuperbird

It consumes fuel like a helicopter - which means several gallons an hour, no matter how much you drive. Which means especially in cities you would get atrocious mileage. With todays gas prices, unless you're very rich you coudln't afford it.

[GooglFascists]

@CarHunter In those days everyone automatically knew if a car said "Chrysler"

on it, it was going to be NOISY.

"Q U I E T" wasn't even in Chrysler engineers' vocabulary.

Chryslers had power and handling, but I never drove one, (including brand new),

that you didn't hear engine, wind and road noise from idle getting progressively

worse up to turnpike speeds.

At 80mph, (in those days the speed limit), you almost needed EAR PLUGS.

So a roaring, whining turbine might have masked some rattles!

[L324RT12]

First one I have ever seen driving around. What a piece of automotive history.

[OneBadSuperbird]

I have some more footage of the Turbine Car that is owned by the Museum Of Transportation in St. Louis around here somewhere. That footage is in-car footage I shot riding in the back seat of the car at Gateway International Raceway a few years back. That was really cool and something I'll never forget. I'll have to post that footage when I run across it.

[robmck52]

The coolest car ever made.

[1alien2]

I agree, there is a movie from 1964 called "The Lively Set" that features the car in it. Check it out.