Chrysler's turbine car book reports

Featuredcar the chrysler turbine car and auto books. Many remember the chrysler turbine car, the bronzecolored hardtop that looked like a thunderbird and whined like a banshee. Thats why my interest in chryslers turbine car was high even before i cracked open the cover. Chryslers turbine car time, may 10, 1963 chrysler turboflite experimental motor trend, may 1963. The gas turbine relates to the jet engine, patented by englands frank white in 1930. Chrysler s turbine engine program did not end with the chrysler turbine car.

The rise and fall of detroits chryslers turbine car. Chrysler s own reports on the turbine test program indicated that poor city economy was a concern to many of the testers. Chryslers turbine engine program did not end with the chrysler turbine car. Jan 20, 2012 chryslers turbine experiment could have changed the car industry many assume that developing alternative fuel sources for cars is a relatively new phenomenon, that manufacturers were forced to experiment when depleted fossil fuel reserves and climate change became hotly debated topical issues. The chrysler corporation, saying a green car does not have to be dull, displayed an electric race car it is developing today that mates a cleanburning naturalgas turbine engine with a flywheel. Rollsroyce speeded the development of jet fighter planes, which came too late to significantly affect world war ii but which proved decisive in korea between those wars, americas big three automakers began working on aircraft turbines chrysler built a turboprop for the u. Lenos interview with lehto to know there were originally 55 cars built and the book. The rise and fall of detroit s coolest creation by steve lehto is an informative, engaging, and alltoobrief book about just that. Chrysler built seven different turbine engines for cars. Designed by elwood engel and engineered by george huebner the cars were hand built by ghia in italy.

Chrysler s next turbine powered car was the highly futuristic 1961 turboflite concept car, billed as a dream car. I wrote a book about chryslers turbine programwhich ran from 1953 to 1983and have even driven the one owned by. One car company was even bold enough to put a jet engine in an automobile, and that is the topic of steve lehto s chrysler s turbine car, a delightful history of, as the subtitle has it. The wellborn musclecar museum will host the ultimate weekend for devoted fans of the aero cars that rocked the late 1960s and early 1970s. Jan 25, 20 i joined chryslers product planning dept in 1965 and one of my first assignments was to drive the chrysler turbine car and then visit some of the test drivers and interview them about their experiences with the turbine car. The source for the content of this blog post is the book chryslers turbine car. Dec 09, 2014 the source for the content of this blog post is the book chryslers turbine car. The willys overland club had their meet in duluth in june 20. In the mid1960s, chrysler corporation, then the third largest american automaker, broke all the rules of a notoriously conservative industry by developing a practical. Chryslers turbine car the rise and fall of detroits coolest creation steve lehto foreword by jay leno in 1964, chrysler gave the world a glimpse of the future.

Chrysler s turbine car is authoritative, detailed, comprehensive, exhaustively documented and exceptionally wellwritten. The studebaker avanti years, 19621964, were also the years of chryslers turbine powered coupe. Americanaut is in no way affiliated with the books author. Once built, the bodies of the car were then shipped to chryslers turbine research center in detroit, where their assembly was completed. The event signaled the public launch of chryslers plan to build 50 such cars and have the public test them under everyday conditions. Im pleased to say the book far exceeded my expectations.

Five years later, in march 1954, chryslers first turbine car was introduced to the press. The rise and fall of detroit s coolest creation kindle edition by lehto, steve, leno, jay, leno, jay. Bodies were made by ghia in turin, with final assembly taking place in a small plant in detroit. I got bombarded with emails and notes because i have written a book on the chrysler turbine car project. Transmission is a threespeed torqueflite, minus the torque converter the secondary turbine fan. The ford part that secretly made chryslers turbine car run. January 15, 1962 saturday evening post pages 38 41 i rode cross country in the turbine auto. Chryslers turbine experiment could have changed the car. Chrysler spent decades working on turbinepowered auto technology and had progressed to the point of fielding 50 of the cars with families across. The video showing the destruction of 46 of the 55 chrysler turbine cars we posted recently generated lots of heated discussion. A brief overview of chryslers legendary turbine car program. Chryslers bronze blowtorch, the experimental turbin.

The car of the future was the descriptor used in reference to the chrysler turbine when it was unveiled at essex house in new york city on may 14, 1963. Chryslers electric race car has turbine and flywheel. July 1961 popular science, page 35 chryslers turbine. Unanimously, they loved the car and most that i spoke to wanted to buy the car they had driven. Driving one of the surviving chrysler turbine cars is a. Chryslers fourthgeneration turbine is under the hood, rated horsepower and 425 poundfeet. Click here for information about the lively set movie staring the turbine car. Chryslers jet age turbine car narrowly missed production. Onefifth the moving parts of a conventional piston motor, smoother running, less maintenance, and for fuel. I made the trip from massachusetts with my parents just to. However, chrysler went on to develop a sixth generation gasturbine engine which finally met us nitrogen oxide regulations, and installed it. Oct 01, 2010 relying on extensive research and firsthand accounts from surviving members of the turbine car programincluding the metallurgist who created the exotic metals for the engine and the test driver who drove it at chryslers proving groundsthis chronicle documents the bold development of an automobile with a jet turbine engine.

This modified torqueflite transmission requires no slip device, such as a hydraulic torque converter, since the power turbine of. The experimental turbine car program was the most significant consumer research program ever undertaken and has been well and factually documented in steve lehtos book titled chryslers turbine car. He interviewed all the surviving members of the turbine car program, and wove these. The rise and fall of detroits coolest creation by steve lehto is an informative, engaging, and alltoobrief book about just that. Chryslers turbine car pdf epub download cause of you. Sep 03, 2014 twohundred and three families drove chrysler turbine cars more than a million miles over two years in the 1960s, and from the reports received, they loved them. The chrysler turbine car, history this writer remembers seeing a chrysler gas turbine car on the streets of portland, oregon in the early 1960s. I joined chryslers product planning dept in 1965 and one of my first assignments was to drive the chrysler turbine car and then visit some of the test drivers and interview them about their experiences with the turbine car. Actually, chrysler corporation made about 50 turbine cars at that time and loaned them out to the general public in various cities around the country. The result was the nowfamous bronze hardtop, unveiled in may 1963. Chryslers turbine car the rise and fall of detroits coolest creation by paul niedermeyer on october 24, 2010 first things first. One of the two 1962 dodge darts with a turbine engine showed marked mileage improvements over chryslers 1950s gas turbine experiments.

Pdf download chryslers turbine car free ebooks pdf. The chrysler turbine car of the 1960s had been in development since the 1950s, when chrysler went through three versions of turbine engines. Chrysler spent decades working on turbine powered auto technology and had progressed to the point of fielding 50 of the cars with families across. One car company was even bold enough to put a jet engine in an automobile, and that is the topic of steve lehtos chryslers turbine car, a delightful history of, as the subtitle has it. This design helped the a831 trim 40 pounds 18 kg from the cr2as weight, reducing it to a. The most notable difference from its predecessor, the cr2a, was its use of twin regenerators one mounted on either side of the gasifier instead of a single top covermounted heat exchanger. The year 1963 and 1964 were already referred to at the beginning of this chapter. This book traces the postwar development of gas turbine engines for use in passenger cars and commercial vehicles in the uk, germany, italy and the usa. The chrysler turbine car is powered by the a831, chrysler s fourthgeneration turbine engine. Mar 25, 2019 chrysler turbine cars were powered by gas turbine engines that chrysler made from 196264. Chryslers turbine powered vehicle program was in existence for 25 years, lehto said, 1953 to 1978 but its the bronzecolored models from the early 1960s that people remember. They built a fleet of turbine carsautomobiles with jet enginesand loaned them out to members of the public. The chrysler turbine car was the largest gas turbine passenger car test program.

A brief overview of chrysler s legendary turbine car program. The rise and fall of detroits coolest creation by steve lehto. To further feed the interest, the author steve lehto had recently published a book about it, chryslers turbine car. Chrysler s fourthgeneration turbine is under the hood, rated horsepower and 425 poundfeet. However, chrysler went on to develop a sixth generation gas turbine engine which finally met us nitrogen oxide regulations, and installed it in a 1966. There is a wealth of sites and reprinted vintage articles dedicated to the tc, and the import duty conspiracy theory reoccurs throughout them. In a typical car company move, chrysler tried to blame the consumers, saying they were burning too much fuel showing the cars off to their friends.

It s a fast read, filled with technical facts and enlightening anecdotes, and i regretted that it ended after only 188 pages not including endnotes, a bibliography and an index. May 05, 2015 once built, the bodies of the car were then shipped to chryslers turbine research center in detroit, where their assembly was completed. The new turbine engineand those that followedhad this mechanism to slow the car as if the car was powered by a piston engine with an automatic transmission. Twohundred and three families drove chrysler turbine cars more than a million miles over two years in the 1960s, and from the reports received, they loved them. Our man steve lehto even wrote an entire book on the subject. Transmission is a threespeed torqueflite, minus the torque. Fifty prototype cars were made and distributed to the public for testing purposes. The rise and fall of detroits coolest creation, and i was intent on reading it someday in greater detail. It was the first and only consumer test ever conducted of gas turbinepowered cars. I have a facebook page now like it or leave a message there for me. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The above excerpt can be looked at as a brief summary. Relying on extensive research and firsthand accounts from surviving members of the turbine car programincluding the.

If you want to help, the link below will take you to my donation request page. It was designed expressly for the consumer program by elwood engel, who had replaced virgil exner as head of chrysler styling two years before. In chryslers turbine car the excellent flexibility or elasticity of the engine is augmented by a 3speed automatic transmission. The first week of april, a 7th generation chrysler turbine engine was listed for sale on ebay.

January 6, 1962 business week, pages 36 37 turbine car for the masses. Unfollow chrysler turbine car to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Its the amazing car jays lusted after since he was 14 years old, and todays episode is packed with all kinds of amazing footage. Steve lehto talks about chryslers turbine car law office of. Chryslers turbine car pdf epub download cause of you download. Most people today have probably never heard of the futuristic experimental automobile that author steve lehto profiles in his outstanding book, chryslers turbine car. Chryslers next turbinepowered car was the highly futuristic 1961 turboflite concept car, billed as a dream car. The rise and fall of detroits coolest creation by steve lehto by bruce g.

Of the total 55 units built 5 prototypes and 50 production cars, most were scrapped at. A new coupe body, which was to become the 1966 dodge charger was considered for a new fifthgeneration turbine engine. Click here for a look at the drivers guide all users got in the glove compartment. The program was the first and only consumer test ever conducted of gas turbinepowered cars. The key issue is, and has been for years, whether import tariffs played a material role in chryslers decision. The chrysler turbine car is powered by the a831, chryslers fourthgeneration turbine engine. The 1964 new york worlds fair featured a very special car, the chrysler turbine. The truth about why chrysler destroyed the turbine cars the. Sleek, low and carrying a rear spoiler, the car was reportedly displayed at autoshows but ive been unable to find any indications that it ever got as much exposure to the road as the 1954 plymouth model. Steve lehto talks about chryslers turbine car law office. Click here for many press releases published by chrysler from the turbine program.

It is based on interviews with leading engineering figures of the day as well as reports by journalists. For more information visit chrysler turbine car book on facebook. The 20plus year development of chryslers turbine enginepowered cars is fascinating. It s the amazing car jay s lusted after since he was 14 years old, and today s episode is packed with all kinds of amazing footage. The truth about why chrysler destroyed the turbine cars. Steve lehtos book chryslers turbine car is a trip back to the future. Buoyed by the uniformly favorable reaction to all this, chrysler decided to build 50 turbinepowered passenger cars for consumer evaluation. Offering a behindthescenes look into the world of automotive research and development in the 1960s, this engaging narrative traces the birth of chryslers alternative jet car and reveals the story behind its sudden and mysterious demise.