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1963 Chrysler Turbine Car Sounds Like a Jet Plane

A little more than 50 years ago Chrysler was busy working on its revolutionary Turbine Car, the only gas turbine-powered vehicle to be tested by consumers.
Chrysler Turbine Car 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from YouTube
Its engine ran at up to 44,500 rpm, gulped anything from diesel fuel to kerosene and vegetable oil to deliver 132 horsepower and 425 pound-feet (576 Nm) of torque and help the vehicle accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in about 12 seconds.

Only 55 examples were built - 5 prototypes and 50 “production” cars - but most of them were scrapped once the consumer trial period was over and Chrysler decided not to go further with the Ghia-bodied vehicle.

Only nine of them remained in museum and private collections, which makes the Turbine Car one of the rarest American automobiles ever built. Seeing one of these on public streets is next to impossible, with only a few car shows having the honor of being visited by such a vehicle.

Thanks to DtRockstar1, we’re now able to see and hear the Turbine Car in action. Unlike other US cars from the era, mostly powered by V6 and V8 engines, this Frostfire Metallic Chrysler sounds like a freakin’ airplane!

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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