Chrysler destroyed 46 of these 55 turbine cars after the trial program ended; only nine survive today.
Lead trim: Turbine Car A-831 gas turbine (130 bhp)
Chrysler Turbine CarA-831 · 1963–1964
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Chrysler Turbine Car yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactChrysler destroyed 46 of these 55 turbine cars after the trial program ended; only nine survive today.
The Chrysler Turbine Car is an experimental two-door hardtop coupe powered by a turbine engine, manufactured by Chrysler from 1963 to 1964. Italian design studio Carrozzeria Ghia constructed the bodywork and Chrysler completed final assembly in Detroit; 55 cars were made, five prototypes and a limited run of fifty for a public user program, all in a signature metallic paint named "turbine bronze". The car was styled by Elwood Engel and Chrysler studios (its resemblance to Engel's Ford Thunderbird earned it the nickname "Englebird") and featured power brakes, power steering and a TorqueFlite transmission, with independent front suspension using a coil spring at each front wheel, off-the-shelf rear leaf springs and power-assisted drum brakes on all four wheels. It was powered by the A-831, Chrysler's fourth-generation turbine engine, which used twin regenerators and weighed 410 lb; it needed no antifreeze, cooling system, radiator, connecting rods or crankshaft, could operate on diesel fuel, unleaded gasoline, kerosene and JP-4 jet fuel (leaded gasoline damaged it), and produced 130 bhp at 36,000 rpm with 425 lb-ft of torque at stall. The dashboard carried a speedometer, a tachometer and a pyrometer monitoring turbine inlet temperature. The wheelbase was 110 in, length 201.6 in, width 72.9 in, height 53.5 in and curb weight 3,952 lb. Chrysler ran a user program from October 1963 to January 1966 in which 203 drivers in 133 cities drove the cars more than one million miles; it exposed problems with the complicated starting procedure, relatively unimpressive acceleration, sub-par fuel economy and noise, and revealed the engines' durability, smooth operation and modest maintenance needs. After the program Chrysler destroyed 46 of the cars; nine survive.
Collectors Spotted in the Chrysler Turbine Car Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Chrysler Turbine Car yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbine Car A-831 gas turbine (130 bhp) | 1963–1964 | Gas turbine | 130 hp | 425 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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