Chrysler ’63 Turbine Car On Stage In Toronto

75thHow much do you know about the Chrysler Turbine Car? “The Chrysler Turbine program began in 1954–in the supersonic jet airplane age–and lasted until 1981,” said Brandt Rosenbusch, Manager of Historical Vehicles – FCA US. “Like today, the company was exploring alternative propulsion solutions and to prove the engine’s flexibility, even ran them on perfume and alcohol–aside from the ‘standard’ JP-4 Jet Fuel.”

1280px-ChryslerTurbineEngine01_crop1One of three such prototypes in the Company’s collection, this “Turbine Bronze” example was on stage with 18 other classic cars as part of the Art and the Automobile historic vehicle exhibit at the 2015 CIAS (Canadian International AutoShow), held February 13-22, 2015, Toronto.

Seven generations of prototype turbine engines were produced by Chrysler Corporation, and while most were installed in normal Chrysler cars and trucks, the 1963 Turbine Cars, powered by the fifth-generation engines–were designed as experimental projects.

A total of 50 Chrysler Turbine Cars were built between 1963 and 1964, and the vast majority were loaned to people for a three month trial. Two-hundred families used the vehicles, their feedback was positive, but the turbine engine never made it to production because of its high manufacturing cost.

Only 9 cars survived the crusher because of tax and import tariffs (the bodies were built by Ghia in Italy). Three were kept by Chrysler, and the others are now in the hands of Detroit Historical, Smithsonian Institute Museum of Transportation, St. Louis, Peterson Museum, LA, a private owner in Indiana, the Blackhawk Collection, and Jay Leno. Including the one currently on display in Toronto at CIAS, only four run today. No matter where you live, you should make a road trip to check out one of these amazing and historic examples of automotive engineering.

Chrysler Turbine Car-2

About the author

Stuart Bourdon

A passion for anything automotive (especially off-road vehicles), camping, and photography led to a life exploring the mountains and deserts of the Southwest and Baja, and a career in automotive, outdoor, and RV journalism.
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