September 30, 2003
A 1963 Chrysler Turbine Sports Coupe on display at the Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The engine generated 130 HP at 3600 RPM with 425 lb-ft of torque. Body is by Ghia. A total of 53 were built and most were scrapped. The museum has the car displayed on a revolving platform inside the museum entrance.
Posted by scheuern on September 30, 2003
I am 54 years old but when I turned 16 my mother had been one of the 50 selected to test drive this car for 3 mounths.It was and still is a very memorable time with our whole family.I can still recall the times when going to the local grocery or department stores having dozens of people rushing to see what in the hell were we driving.I dream of some day having that car back, but know it is impossible. I would like to see the look on my mother's face if it were to pull up in her driveway again and she could drive it one more time.
Posted by: Ken DeMaria at November 24, 2003 07:05 PMMy brother was turning 16 that August, and I had just turned 12. My father had read an article in the Wall Street Journal about Chyrsler's "experimental" turbine engine car and decided to write to them. He had always driven Chrysler Imperials. I remember my parents telling us that they were going to be interviewed, that people were coming to our house, and that it was a secret. I think my brother and I had to go over to our friends' houses. Some time after that, the car was brought to us. I remember taking rides with my father after dinner that summer, and people pointing and running over to us as we idled at traffic lights. We would drive to an ice cream stand and my father would get out of the car, lift the hood and talk to anyone who came over to see the car. I think the coolest thing was the turbine engine sound. It sounded to me like a jet! The World's Fair was that summer in New York and Chrysler had one on exhibit. I remember how neat it was that we had one at home in Baltimore. My brother and I still have the models.
Posted by: Bonnie Lippman at April 6, 2004 08:43 PMI too was 16 years old and drove our car #991232 about 5000 miles of the over 12000 we put on the car. Anyone with a valid driver's license could drive it as long as my father (user #160) was in the passenger seat.
I am working with another automotive author on a book on the turbine car and Chrysler's program from 1954 to 1981. I would like to talk to other user's children and find more photos from the time they had the car. Both my father and mother are no longer here on this dirt ball and if any of the user's who are still able to talk, contact me - I would love to talk to other user's.
Check out my web pages where I have documented the car and program.
Posted by: Mark Olson at April 29, 2004 03:03 PMI was not a user ,but an observer of the turbine car at the high school I attended. It was in 1965 at Hermiston High School, in Hermiston, Oregon, and the automotive shop teacher said that He got a call to see if the auto class would like to see the turbine car. Seeing ,and hearing it run was great . The driver took the engine up to high rpm , and stood a nickle on end on the engine, and it never moved. This is one of the most remarkable developements in automotive history.
Turbines engines can be very fuel efficient when tuned right , and run on the proper fuel mix. The thing is the oil companies realized was this engine runs on all kind of fuels , which includes all biofuels, which killed this engine from being used any further. To bad for this country. We are fighting over something We do not need.
Thank You For the information on The Turbine Engine Car, and Good Luck on Your Book , I will look for it when it comes out.
Danny Aiken
US Army DAC Retired