Sometime around January 21, 1954, Chrysler introduced an automobile powered by a gas turbine engine. The car was a standard Plymouth sedan of the day with the old engine yanked and the jet engine put in. When an engine like this is used, the burning fuel, which causes the turbine to spin, is partially recovered so as not to set fire to things. The cars drive train is connected to above mentioned spinning turbine, thus moving it about.
The idea of harnessing the spinning gas turbines power was very tempting to engineers. All they had to do was get the rotating turbine down to car size and deal with the 1700 degrees F exhaust.
Chrysler's little Plymouth came out with little fanfare. The following year saw the machine embark on a cross country trip to promote the technology and give the thing a good shakedown.
The company was serious about giving it a go. The original 1954 power plant was redesigned many times and by the early 60's they had got the kinks worked out. In 1961 they unveiled the Turboflite, a futuristic model with amazingly up to date lines (for 2009!). It had a very Japanese tuner styled spoiler and a molded roof/cabin they gave it a mean, aggressive look. They never built any though.
It took a shakeup at Chrysler and the hiring of Ford's old designer, Elwood P. Engel to move the project into near reality. With his design skill and the Ghia automobile plant in Turin Italy, they produced a new, half decent looking car that they were to take on the road for an extended real world test starting in 1963. Why the Christ they had to build the thing in Italy is beyond me. You'd think they had a spare Assembly line stateside.
The program limped along through the 60's and 70's with various body designs, including an early version of the Dodge Charger, but the company opted for a conventional power plant.
GM had it's hand in gas turbine powered cars too with 3 different Firebirds. The series were show cars developed for the Motorama Auto shows and were featured in the 1953, 56 and 59 shows. The brainchild of Harley Earl, the vehicles were definitely not dumpy sedans. In fact the first one, built in 1953, looked like a jet on a wheeled dolly. The 2 other prototypes were super slick looking too, but they at least looked more like a car.
The 1956 and 59 models had titanium bodies, disc brakes and a rudimentary guidance system that allowed the car to follow wires embedded in the street.
That's the Firebird on the left.
We'll see what 2009 brings to these 2 companies, hmmm?
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