Chrysler Gas Turbine
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 5
Introduction
Several car manufacturers experimented with the idea of developing a Gas Turbine car, but none got nearer to developing a fully blown production model than Chrysler.
In fact, 50 gas turbine coupes were developed in 1963 and provided to 50 lucky(?) volunteer trial testers. The car body was designed by Elwood Engle, who had previously designed the Ford Thunderbird.
Acceleration proved to be no problem to the turbine driven cars (0 - 100 km/h in approx 10 seconds), but some worrying problems were experienced by the drivers. These included fuel consumption (at best around 12 mpg) and cabin heat that was being generated by the turbine motor.
When Chrysler decided that it was never going to become a commercial proposition, they destroyed 40 of the prototypes (to avoid import duty on the bodies that had been imported from Italy), with the remaining 10 being given to museums.