Overview

The fascinating story of an almost-forgotten automotive phenomenon

"Fascinating." —Vanity Fair

"A delightful history." —Wall Street Journal

In 1964, Chrysler gave the world a glimpse of the future.
The automaker built a fleet of turbine cars—automobiles with jet engines—and lent them out to members of the public. The fleet logged over a million miles; the exercise was a raging success. If the cars had been mass produced, today we might have cars that run on any flammable liquid instead of petroleum-derived fuels. Yet Chrysler crushed and burned most of the cars two years later; the jet car’s brief glory was over. Where did it all go wrong?
Steve Lehto interviewed all the surviving members of the turbine car program, from the metallurgist who created the exotic metals for the interior of the engine to the test driver who drove it at Chrysler’s proving grounds for days on end. Lehto takes these firsthand accounts and weaves them into a fascinating story about the coolest car Detroit has ever produced.
In this expanded edition, Lehto describes working with Jay Leno to rebuild one of the last remaining turbine cars, a prize in Leno’s famed collection.

Reviews

“A meticulously researched, sometimes sobering, always fascinating account of the coolest car ever to come out of Detroit—and why you can’t buy it. At a time of skyrocketing gasoline prices and gas-electric hybrids, the world would do well to consider Lehto’s loving history of the alternative-fuel engine that could run on peanuts—literally—and the car that looked good doing it. Chrysler’s Turbine Car demonstrates that the best ideas don’t always need to be developed; sometimes they only need to be rediscovered.” —Karen Dionne, author of Freezing Point

“Compelling and strongly researched. . . . An excellent history.” —Hemmings Classic Car

“Captivating. . . . 100% enjoyable reading that virtually any car buff will enjoy.” —Mopar Action

“The story of Chrysler’s lengthy involvement with turbine power is related with enthusiasm and in fascinating detail.” —Globe and Mail

Author Biography