1963 Chrysler Turbine

[Sedalia Dave]

Ultra-rare 1963 Chrysler Turbine car sold to mystery buyer

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

 

Chrysler Turbine Car

 

 

Quote

 

The Chrysler Turbine Car is an automobile powered by a turbine engine which was produced by Chrysler from 1963 to 1964. Its body was made by the Italian design studio Ghia, and Chrysler completed its assembly in Detroit. The Chrysler turbine engine program that produced the Turbine Car began during the late 1930s, and created multiple prototypes that successfully completed numerous long-distance trips in the 1950s and early 1960s.

 

The A-831 engines that powered the Ghia-designed Turbine Car could operate on many different fuels, required less maintenance, and lasted longer than conventional piston engines, although they were much more expensive to produce. A total of 55 cars were built: five prototypes and a limited run of 50 cars for a public user program. The car's design was created by Elwood Engel and the Chrysler studios. A two-door hardtop coupe, it featured power brakes, power steering, and a TorqueFlite transmission, and was coated with a metallic, root beer-colored paint known as "turbine bronze".

 

After testing, Chrysler conducted a user program from October 1963 to January 1966 that involved 203 individual drivers in 133 different cities across the United States cumulatively driving more than one million miles (1.6 million km). The program helped the company determine a variety of problems with the cars, notably with their complicated starting procedure, relatively unimpressive acceleration, and sub-par fuel economy and noise level. The experience also revealed key advantages of the turbine engines, including their remarkable durability, smooth operation, and relatively modest maintenance requirements.

 

After the conclusion of the user program in 1966, Chrysler reclaimed all of the cars and destroyed all but nine of them; Chrysler kept two cars, five are displayed at museums in the United States, and two are in private collections. Chrysler's turbine engine program ultimately ended in 1979, largely due to the failure of the engines to meet government emissions regulations, relatively poor fuel economy, and as a prerequisite of receiving a government loan in 1979.

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

 

 

The Chrysler Turbine Car is powered by the A-831, Chrysler's fourth-generation turbine engine. The most notable difference from its predecessor, the CR2A, was its use of twin regenerators (one mounted on either side of the gasifier) instead of a single top cover-mounted heat exchanger.[5] This design helped the A-831 trim 40 pounds (18 kg) from the CR2A's weight,[33] reducing it to a relatively-light 410 lb (186 kg).[34] Huebner described the turbine as similar to a jet engine, noting that it had only one spark plug and about 80 percent fewer parts than a typical automotive piston engine.[35] Due to their construction, the engines did not require antifreeze, a cooling system, a radiator, connecting rods, or crankshafts.[31][36]

The A-831 could operate on diesel fuel, unleaded gasoline, kerosene, and JP-4 jet fuel;[37] leaded gasoline damaged it.[38][39] According to Chrysler, it could burn a variety of unusual fuels ranging from furnace oil and perfume to peanut and soybean oils.[8][31][36] Mexican president Adolfo López Mateos ran one of the cars on tequila after Chrysler engineers confirmed that it would do so.[8][40]

The engine produced 130 bhp (97 kW) at 36,000 revolutions per minute (rpm), 425 lb⋅ft (576 N⋅m) of torque, and idled between 18,000 and 22,000 rpm.[34][35][41] At idle, its exhaust did not exceed 180 °F (82 °C).[42] When driven at 120 mph (193 km/h), the turbine ran at its maximum of 60,000 rpm.[35]The A-831's compressor had a pressure ratio of 4:1 and an efficiency of 80 percent;[33] its combustor operated at 95 percent efficiency.[43]

Compared to conventional piston engines, turbine engines generally require less maintenance, last longer, and start more easily in cold conditions;[9] the A-831 started properly at temperatures as low as −20 °F (−29 °C).[44] The first car to receive an A-831 was a Plymouth Fury.[34] In this Ghia-built turbine car, the engine had a 0-to-60 mph (97 km/h) time of about 12 seconds.[45] Due to the exotic materials and strict tolerances needed to build the engines and the investment casting method with which they were made, the A-831s were very expensive to produce;[46] Chrysler never disclosed their actual cost.[47]

 

 

[Pat Riot]

Wow, 0 to 60 miles per hour in 12 seconds...

 

I did not expect that. That has to be a typo, right?

[Sedalia Dave]

16 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Wow, 0 to 60 miles per hour in 12 seconds...

 

I did not expect that. That has to be a typo, right?

 

Nope. One of the disadvantages of a turbine engine it spool up time. 

 

Engines with turbo charges have a similar issue called turbo lag. Its the reason drag racers have super chargers and not turbo chargers. Because a super charger is belt driving it responds instantly to changes in engine RPM.

 

Its also the reason that jet aircraft run the engines to max power with the brakes applied before starting their take off roll.

If they started rolling and then applied full power they would need longer runways to get off the ground. 

[El CupAJoe]

5 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Its also the reason that jet aircraft run the engines to max power with the brakes applied before starting their take off roll.

If they started rolling and then applied full power they would need longer runways to get off the ground. 

the car might have needed something like this system to allow to quickly accelerate away from stop lights.  keep the turbine at high rpm when stopped and you expect to accelerate away quickly, but I assume your exhaust would not stay below 180 degrees in this scenario...

[Cypress Sun]

1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 Mexican president Adolfo López Mateos ran one of the cars on tequila after Chrysler engineers confirmed that it would do so.[8][40]

 

Conversation when Mateos was pulled over by Mexican cops..

 

Cop: "Senor, have you been drinking"?

 

Mateos: "No Senor, but my car, it is wasted."

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Its the reason drag racers have super chargers and not turbo chargers

There is a huge number of turbine drag cars out there. They run single and double turbos. They have figured out on to spin them up at the starting line. Theres a race series called no prep, meaning the track doesn't have sticky stuff on it. You'll see Blowers, nitrous, turbines in that series of racing.

The turbine cars are liked because through the computer they can change boost as the car runs the race. Which are now 1/8 mile. 

https://go.discovery.com/tv-shows/street-outlaws-mega-cash-days

[Chantry]

Here is a 24 minute episode from Jay Leno's Garage about the 1963 Chrysler Turbine

 

 

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795]

I got to see one live when I was in High School my Soph. year. They brought it to the school for the Pre- choice program where you chose the class you wished to enter( automotive, printing,welding, drafting, business, etc,). I remember hearing it spool up and feeling the heat as it departed. It was in town courtesy of Kempthorn Motors Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth. A Dealership in town.

[Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L]

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

1 hour ago, Chantry said:

Here is a 24 minute episode from Jay Leno's Garage about the 1963 Chrysler Turbine

 

 

That’s a good episode 

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

 

 

 ........ did it come with this transmission ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[J.D. Daily]

On 3/11/2021 at 6:41 AM, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Nope. One of the disadvantages of a turbine engine it spool up time. 

 

Engines with turbo charges have a similar issue called turbo lag. Its the reason drag racers have super chargers and not turbo chargers. Because a super charger is belt driving it responds instantly to changes in engine RPM.

 

Its also the reason that jet aircraft run the engines to max power with the brakes applied before starting their take off roll.

If they started rolling and then applied full power they would need longer runways to get off the ground. 

A two shaft turbine like a double acting steam engine peak torque is at zero RPM.  The Novi Indy car had so much torque that it broke the transmission in the 1st year at Indy.  It ran away from the Offi & Cosworth engine cars until the transmission blew.  The experience with the turbine powered car had the sanctioning body handicap turbines by choking the intake air to limit power.

I remember seeing the Chrysler turbine car & Rover turbine GT car displayed at UCB's Sproul Plaza.  Ford also had a gas turbine powered class 8 truck tractor to test the concept.  The idea of turbine powered on-highway vehicles was killed by the Arab oil embargo.  Even with their recuperators their part load fuel consumption couldn't match compression ignition or spark ignited reciprocating internal combustion engines part load fuel efficiency.  Currently the only land vehicle with a gas turbine prime mover is the Abrams tank.  It is way more fuelish than the Driptroit Diesel powered M60 it replaced.  The reason the Abrams has a Lycoming GT is at the time of it's development no diesel engine that had the rating necessary in a package that fit in the engine/transmission bay.  Today there are many US & European engine manufacturers w/engines that meet the design spec's.  The fuel consumption when parked is such a big problem for the DOD that they are installing a 10kW @ 28VDC Hatz diesel engine powered APU to handle the electrical power required for the communications equipment, turret, & fire control system.