1963 Chrysler Turbine: Ultimate Edition - Jay Leno's Garage
1963 Chrysler Turbine: Ultimate Edition. It's the amazing car Jay's lusted after since he was 14 years old, and today's episode is packed with all kinds of amazing footage! We've got a book review, a road test, and Chrysler's original promotional video.
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1963 Chrysler Turbine: Ultimate Edition - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1963 Chrysler Turbine:...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage
I AM 72 YEARS OLD NOW, BUT WHEN I WAS 17 AND LIVING IN A SUBURB OF DETROIT, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, DICK WANTON, WORKED FOR CHRYSLER AND HAD THIS CAR IN HIS GARAGE. I WENT FOR A RIDE ONE SATURDAY, AND I STILL REMEMBER TODAY WHAT A COOL CAR IT WAS.
OW! my ears!!!! Please stop SHOUTING!
SonnyGTA he he
Just imagine the price tag If he sell that car
SonnyGTA he is 72 years old show some respect ! beside (with all due respect) all old people talk loud , even on youtube , hell look how loud Jay talks lol , GET USE TO IT !
erdingtown no wonder YOU HAVE ALL CAPS, BECAUSE ALL GRUMPY OL' MEN LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING
I was fortunate to have been selected to ride in a Chrysler Turbine Car on a test track at the 1964-1965 NY World's Fair. It was quite a car and I still remember the ride today. I was 12 years old. As a keepsake, to commemorate my selection,I was given a model of the car, which is still on display in my home today.
i too got a ride @ the fair, shotgun!-)
I was a young kid and my parents had brought me there also. I never forgot that "Jet Car".
That's awesome.
If only the oil companies would have allowed mass production.
@@danieljarrelljr5640 It really came down to the fact that a piston engine at that time cost about $300 to produce. A turbine engine cost $10,000. There was no way to make the car affordable or profitable. Then, emissions testing became a concern and the project was scrapped as a result of these two factors.
My Dad was one of the lucky winners of the 3 month test drive of this car. His time actually turned into 4.5 months as the engine fried when he was in South Dakota. They had to fly out a new engine, engineering crew/mechanics, and a driver to Sioux Falls to get it back to us in Wisconsin, so they gave us some extra time. I was 8 years old and remember riding in the backseat. The center console was fascinating to me, it was so different from our other cars! Dad was a bit of a gearhead and liked a little growl in his exhaust, so this was by far the quietest car that I rode in as a kid. Extremely smooth acceleration and a great ride, it was Dads 1st "luxury car". Weirdest thing Dad did was to keep a few bottles of whiskey in the trunk for spare fuel! I do have a model that Chrysler gave to all members of the test drive family, and a brochure that we got with it and would love to reunite it with this car if possible!
@jayleno
@jayleno
@jaylenosgarage check this out
A family friend that worked for Chrysler had one of these to test drive and came by to show it to us, and took us for a ride. My Dad and I thought it was so cool, especially due to the styling and unique jet engine sound. I was the solo back seat co-pilot, as neither of my sisters had any interest. Little did I know, or did anyone know, how rare of a thing that was that I got to experience. Even thought that ride was about 56 years ago, I’ve never forgotten it... RIP Dad, and his friend Bob that treated us to a ride in the shiny penny as I called it.
Vin Wiki sent me here....its like going back in time seeing Steve tell the same story lol
Haha same here.
Same!
Guilty
Ditto
Same!
This and other rare cars, couldn't be in better hands. Here's a collector who recognizes the signifigance of rare cars, and instead of locking them away, he share's everything about them. Thank you Mr. Leno!!! We greatly appreciate your custodianship of such historically important cars, and their importance to the history of this country.
69 polara convertible owner here
@@manuelferreira4345 You must be proud. That is a very cool ride.
@@manuelferreira4345 That’s a boat with wheels
@@Noname-kk1tu wanna sell it to get another 300
We are blessed that Jay has such a passion for all things mechanical and is financially able to collect and save so many special vehicles.
Of all the vehicles Jay has, this is the one I would pick. Rare beast made by one of the big three, cool design and far out technology that never made production. Custodian is the ideal term here and Jay is the caretaker. Bravo
Do you not like to say Chrysler or America?
@@bennyboyy7????
Jay Leno is the epitome of what every car guy wants to be
He just has the bank account to fund his addiction. If you or I had 100s of millions. We too would probably have the same garage
@@towertito2149 he started on his collection when he wasnt rich and famous though.
A billionaire?
@@rodneyhalljr623 All car guys do. You just reach a financial ceiling, and Leno doesn't have one.
@@rodneyhalljr623 yea, he started out as a used car salesman!
I worked at Chrysler engineering in the 70’s and we had several turbines that were installed in some of the C body vehicles. Jay was right about the short comings of the turbine. To me this was one of the last truly innovative vehicles to come out of Detroit. If anyone deserves to own one of these it’s Mr. Leno. He is a excellent custodian of automotive history and along with his celebrity status, he’s able to share it with us all. Thanks Jay, from one gear head to another!
Thank God we have a real car guy to preserve these unique vehicles! Thanks Jay!
He’s like the exact opposite of whistling diesel
Just an amazing car. None of the reasons they stopped production of this car were good enough in my opinion.
You want to pay a half million dollars for a car that is slower and get worse millage than the V-8 version??? Sounds like a good enough reason to me.
Expensive, lackluster performance if driven like a normal car, poor mileage, emissions problems, fouled up if fed leaded gas... I love these cars, they're beautiful to look at and the engineering inside is fascinating. But it's easy to see why this 1960s iteration of the concept was never a commercial success. With more development, this idea could possibly have been more successful later on (Chrysler's turbine tech did find its way into the M1Abrams tank), but Chrysler was running into financial problems by the time they had made much progress on the above issues, and had to drop the unproven and risky development program in order to secure assistance.
@@SynchronizorVideos I completely agree with you on everything... until the M1 Abrams. The AGT-1500 gas turbine engine then known as the Jumo GT-15 was designed by Nazi engineer Dr. Anselm Franz while working at Jumo, Franz relocated to America and continued development of the Jumo GT-15/ PLT-15 at Lycoming. The Lycoming PLT-15 became a government program in 1965 as the TF-15 for the Navy and the AGT-1500 for the Army. Chrysler had nothing to do with the development of M1 or the AGT-1500.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Well, the M1 was developed by Chrysler Defense, who beat out GM (whose tank prototype was using a piston diesel engine) in the initial design competition during the 1970s. So the tank is absolutely a Chrysler design. But you're correct, the turbine engine itself was the Lycoming AGT1500, and not related to Chrysler's in-house line of experimental turbine engines that went into the 1960s Turbine Cars (which Chrysler continued to play with and refine through most of the 1970s). What I should have said was that it was Chrysler's CONCEPT of a multifuel gas turbine prime mover plus a multi-speed transmission that was successful in the M1 tank, not Chrysler's turbine engine itself.
@@SynchronizorVideos Ah... NO. The M1 Abrams was designed by German manufacturer Krauss Maffei in conjunction with the U.S. Army Ordnance Dept. As the XM815 The General Motors X-M1 prototype powered by the Continental ACVR-1360 turbocharged multi-fuel Diesel engine won the Army's XM1 trials. Congress, after heavy lobbying by Chrysler and the State of Ohio overturned the Army's choice and forced it to buy the Chrysler bid. A very shameful chapter in American politics
Absolutely one of the most amazing and attractive cars ever to come out of Detroit. So glad to see it in Jay's collection where I know it will be preserved and loved for future generations.
The Italians do make the best looking cars...
When I was 12 years old (1964) I saw a Chrysler Turbine Car at Grossmount Shopping Center in La Mesa, CA. It was on an elevated platform. They started the engine , balanced a nickel on edge on the engine. They spun the engine to the 60 MPH equivalent. The nickel never moved. The exhaust gases were remarkably cool. And the car was just good-looking. A few months later I saw another turbine car in Anoka, MN. This car was just unforgettable. Thanks, Jay. Brian Grittner, Little Canada, MN
A uh uh in
I remember someone putting a nickel on the car and it never moved.
I saw the same stunt in St. Catherines, Ontario. It's true...that coin stood rock solid as they revved up the engine.
I saw the same demonstration at Midtown Mall in Rochester, NY in 1964. My dad and I got a chance to talk to the Chrysler representative as well. I was eight years old. Great memory.
We're fortunate to have Jay to preserve & share these cars for future generations. Thank you Jay!!
I had my first and only experience with a Chrysler turbine car at the Dekalb County fair in Auburn Ind. in September 1964. I was 19 years old at the time and a freshman at Indiana Univ. I came home for the fair and had no inkling I would see this revolutionary car. It was slowly cruising around the court house square and I marveled at the soft, low pitched turbine "whine" it emitted. I never had the opportunity to sit in it and I do not recall this was permitted while it sat on display, roped off midst the carnival gala that crowded the square. I was aware of the basics of this revolutionary design since my uncle had schooled me ahead of time. In the 1920's he was a test driver for Auburn, Cord, Dusenberg that was headquartered in Auburn. He also was a pilot and barnstormed around the Midwest, performed skywriting at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair and eventually became a corporate pilot. Needless to say he loved anything that was mechanical and went fast. Although my encounter with the turbine car was brief it is vividly etched in my memory.
I recall like it was yesterday standing on a sidewalk at an intersection in northern Detroit when this strange car stopped at the traffic light 10 feet from me. I was only 11 or 12 and already a car nut but this one I couldn’t figure out. More than how it looked, the loud whine coming from it is what really grabbed me. If you’ve ever been in a car with a turbocharger it sounded like that whine without the other engine noise. One of the older boys shouted “it’s the turbine car”. Way cool.
Very cool. I was showing my 85 year old neighbor the video and he gets out a VHS copy of him driving the car around the Indianapolis 500 track. He worked as a salesman for Palmer Dodge and had the opportunity to drive it on the track. Very COOL!!!!
Bob Stegs they never had VHS tapes until the late 70s....
Much like folks today getting their old photos digitized my neighbor had his old movies updated to VHS.
Beta came out in 1975, the Video Home System ( VHS ) came out in 1976. But they were as big as a suitcase, weighed about 40-50 pounds and the first Beta cost $1,500 dollars! The blank tapes ran about 20 to 30 bucks, movies were $80 dollars (or more). But by the late 80's these had come way down, in price and size and weight.
CordiaSR That's like watching a KZhead uploaded of a 90's show and going "they didn't have KZhead back then."
What would be really cool is to convert the VHS to digital and upload it here.
Growing up in western Pennsylvania, the Chrysler dealership was behind our house on the other side of a fence. Almost daily I would walk through the lot to home (and buy an orange or grape Crush in their outside pop cooler...i.e., like a large refrigerator on its back). One day I noticed the Turbine on display and a Chrysler rep giving a demonstration. At 14 years old, I stood in amazement with the rest of the crowd. For me, the height of technical wizardry about the car (besides it being a jet on four wheels) was when the rep lifted the hood and placed a nickel on its edge and stood it atop of the running turbine! It stayed there on its edge seemingly forever, never moving. I bought my Crush and walked home thinking of the world yet to come.
Bill Tyson I wish I could have been there for that
Right. A few years later landed Armstrong on the Moon using a rope-core computer. Nowadays we have 76 genders and unisex restrooms. What a time to be alive...
Jay Monay - I was lucky enough that my uncle Michael Manns is a specialist at restoring classic cars. He had a Chrysler Turbine car in his shop one summer (I won’t say whose, because it would sound like I was lying, but feel free to look it up) when I was there to visit. We did the nickel balancing thing! The smoothness and uniqueness stood out just as much to a young millennial as it did for Bill Tyson (I’m also from western PA, but Mike lives in Missouri)! Point is, these cars thankfully do still exist even though they didn’t go into production, and it is possible to see one at a car show or museum. I hope you do see one someday!
evshrug I'm pretty interested in whose turbine car, and man I was born in the wrong generation
@@vitkriklan2633 Without LBJ, his so-called "Great Society", giveaway programs to undeserving minorities and "womyn", we'd be driving FLYING cars, terraforming the moon, colonizing Mars, and sending probes to Alpha Centauri. Most, if virtually not ALL technical advances, are due to WHITE people, especially GERMANS. Hence why the present-day war on whites, especially the white male, is SUICIDE in the long run.
As a 13-year-old, I was absolutely in love with this car. Like Jay, I saw it at the '64 World's Fair. Two or three cars were circling the Chrysler pavilion. However, one was parked in the driveway close to the low wall surrounding the perimeter. I had to stretch but I was able to reach out and touch the car! I'm 70 now, and I'm still just as much in love with it as I was back then.
Jay is the ultimate car collector. Would've loved to know what this car cost back in 1963. I can't imagine hanging out with Jay, our conversations would go on forever.
The company never put a price on them,hardly suprising when they cost about 50.000 dollars or more to build
If this was any other man, we'd all think he was just a snobby rich man showing off. But it's Jay Leno, the chillest man to exist, who loves cars, drives cars, works on cars, and from what I've heard, will geek out about cars with anyone.
Jay is a very generous guy, and as he said in the video, he considers himself just a custodian of his cars. He's like a neighbor who owns cools stuff and enjoys sharing the experience with his friends.
This rings true, hearing him talk about how he went to the World's Fair to see this car when he was just 14.
@Dave Micolichek He would!
@@betsybarnicle8016 my dad took us to the worlds fair to see it also . I was in the 4th grade !
I don't find myself jealous of his success, and I admire his passion for cars: I am an amateur in comparison, but I don't begrudge him for buying antique cars with his money. I think any of us with any interest in cars would enjoy collecting a few. Leno is just far more successful than the average person :-)
My father-in-law was an engineer at Chrysler and worked on the turbine project and I've heard many stories throughout the the years. He's gone now, but seeing the car (and the one at Peterson Automotive Museum) is such a treat. Thanks for sharing it, Jay.
I was fortunate enough to drive one of these cars as a young aerospace engineering student in 1966. Chrysler's engineering team brought four of these to Penn State University and I was invited to drive one. As a turbine engine-powered car, I was fascinated by it, as I remember. I've been fortunate as a "car guy" and amateur racer to have been professionally involved with other unique protoypical cars, e.g. the GM Impact (an unfortunate name choice for an experimental vehicle!). I was assigned to manage a fleet of 36 Impacts and work with the GM engineering team in getting them test driven over a period of 4 weeks at a time by groups of volunteer drivers, allow us and GM to collect information on performance, range, enrgy use, etc. I was able to take them home with me from time-to-time and even drive them at high speed (120mph indicated) on the track at Pocono International Raceway to demonstrate the EV technology between heats at an SCCA event being held there.
Jay loves cars. And his love is contagious.
Anytime someone says there is 50 or less of a car in private hands, I just automatically assume that Leno has one.
And he can tell you in detail everything about them.
Their interesting cars, not just over powered race cars but vehicles that people used in their lives.
At a certain point when cars become so rare it's not so much about money it's about who is going to preserve history. Jay respects the history and has access to the best mechanics and machinists in the world to preserve these gems.
@@paultrigger3798 as ford said when they beat ferrari @ lemans: there's no substitute for cubic dollars;-)
50 or fewer...ftfy;-)
Jay should be “SAINTED” for his incredible love and sharing of automotive history and reverence to car culture. Thanks Jay!
La noire game makers used his collection for cars in the game.
I was lucky enough to be hired [temporarily] at NBC in Burbank [in 1998] to swap out their old IBM PCs for the newer ones throughout their offices (including Jay's). But the best part of it was everyday, Jay would drive a different one of his cars to work. He was very affable and willing to talk to anyone who "flagged him down" to talk cars --- I talked to him a couple of times about MY favorites --- 60s muscle cars. One day he brought a super-vintage World War II motorcycle with sidecar attached. During his "lunchtime," Jay would give some of his workers rides in the sidecar --- he would drive around the block, I think --- just enough to give his passenger a thrill.
Can't stand him. Just blathers on and on.
@@gitterplayr
Certainly not for being funny.
I was fortunate to see the car at the NY World's Fair. Fell in love with it. Kudos to Jay for being a wonderful custodian of American automobile history.
As a 14 year old kid, like Mr Leno, I too was fascinated by this car. I recall having a booklet by Hot Rod magazine featuring 1964 cars and the Turbine was on the cover with a great story inside. I kept that for years. A local outdoor mall had a display of 1964 cars and one of these was on display. I was in heaven. Tried to get dad to buy one.
I am now 63 years old when I was 13 my father, who was a Chrysler mechanic, took our family to a showing of the Turbine car at Northwest Plaza in Hazelwood Mo a suburb located NW of St. Louis. In the video Jay sets a glass of water on the engine to show that there was no vibration, at the Hazelwood show I saw one of the spokesmen take a nickel and stand it on edge where Jay had the glass of water... very impressive. Everything about the car would just knock your socks off. You had to see it up close. To this day I still like the color chosen for it.
My uncle, a doctor and avid car collector, was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take one of these turbine cars for a drive. One of his patients happened to be the guy in charge of the shop servicing these cars for the southeastern United States. I was just a kid at the time, but I remember wishing I could have been along on that ride. Still do.
You were there! Just in your mind! Sam Shull
I did not realize I had seen part of the turbine car story in real time. A coworker at Beechcraft (J,W. Lyle) was one of the people to get to drive the turbine for a month. It created quite an event when he showed up the plant. It pull up in front of the office and everybody who could showed went to have a look. We were working toward putting turbine engines on the King Air during this period. The turbine were lighter and had potential to make more horse power then the ICE at the time. I did not realize how lucky we were.
In 1965, when I was a student at Howard University Law School, They brought one of these turbine cars there for people to see and after I showed great interest in it, I was given a chance to drive it around part of Washington D.C for about 10 miles. It was wonderful to drive. It handled very well, was very quiet and the fact that it was powered by a gas turbine was fascinating. I had studied physics in undergraduate school and hoped that they would put it into production, but they never did. It could have led to a revolution in automotive design and possibly eventually replaced the piston engine over time. To bad Chryler had so many financial problems then and decided not to pursue it I am thankful that I had the chance to drive one.
I have so much more respect for Jays car collection than any other rich persons collection of new Lamborghini and Ferrari, this is actually a contribution to our history. If I got similar wealth I would also dedicate it at preserving unique and odd examples of automotive history. Dear Jay, I am grateful for what you have chosen to spend your money and time on and I think the future generations will also appreciate it.
I'm onboard with you !!!!!
I like that Mr. Leno will actually take his cars out and drive them. A car is wasted if it never gets driven.
And what makes it really nice is Jay's friendly presentation. A real classy showman. And a friend.
My grandfather was head of quality control at New Process Gear in Syracuse NY during this project, and he used to tell stories of his trips to Detroit and rides in the Turbine. It was the pride of everyone involved. Thanks for the ride!
As a CNY'er I did not know that. Have they ever done a story on NPG's involvement with the vehicle?
Lipe-Rollway and NPG had their fingers in everything from the 50s through the early 70s. If it had gears, bearings or mechanical gearboxes CNY produced the best.... Brown and Lipe, Crucible steel.... all the good stuff!
Someone who lived in Westvale on or near Parsons Road was lucky enough to have the use of one of these cars. I saw it many times since I didn’t live too far from there. I grew up around race cars so knew the Chrysler Turbine was something very special. I’m happy Jay Leno owns one of these and will preserve it.
Great show, Jay. I first saw this car in St. Louis when it was introduced in 1964. I was taken back on how innovative it was., feeling like the future had truly arrived. Little did I know that 50 years later I would still be amazed by it.
When I Was 18 yrs Old, I Was Working As Cashier At A Car Was In Fresno Ca. One Of These Cars Pulled In For A Wash, WOW! I'll NEVER Forget That Day. I Asked If I Could Drive It To The Rack, He Said No, He Was The Only One That Could Drive It. He Popped The Hood For Me To Look At The (i was thinking engine) Boy Was I Surprised, All I Remember Was A Big Cast Housing, No Spark Plugs Or Carb, Distributor Nothing Like I Expected. I Feel Special. LOL That Was Almost 50 Years Ago!!
Growing up in the 60's my best friend's Dad was a Chrysler exec, and actually had a demo car for a few days. Like Jay I thought we were finally in the "space age." His dad was pretty wild, and the only "reading" material he had on the car was an article in "Playboy." He gave us the magazine and said to only read the article. As 13 year old boys. This was a double treat.
Yeah right Bob,, are you smokin' the drapes again?
I just wanna say, Jay, I love your show and watch it often when I come home from work. A customer of mine, used to be a Chrysler employee, called Jay and told him that he had the operators manual for this car. As the story was told to me, Jay flew he and his wife out to California, put them up in a hotel, and gave them a tour of the shop in exchange for the manual. Very cool. Jay seems like a real down to earth, cool guy.
See my comment above. The man you refer to is Mark Olson from Duluth, MN. His family was chosen as one of the evaluation families during the early 1960's. Mark Olson is the keeper of the flame for the turbine car. He has every known bit of literature, film clips, etc. Go to turbinecar.com It's a great website.
Very BEAUTIFUL car , I'm 58 yrs old. Never heard of this car until few days ago , now I get to see it 👍👍👍
And to think the Turbine Car's powerplant is the ancestor of the M1 Abrams' powerpack... amazing!
The M1 Abrams is completely unrelated, it is powered by a Lycoming PLT-25 designed by Nazi engineer Dr Anselm Franz in 1944. Franz who is considered the "father of gas turbine engines" designed the engines for the Messerschmitt Me-262 and the most successful helicopter engine in history, the Lycoming T53/55
It's so admirable how he considers himself as the custodian of his cars and not as its owner...
As a custodian of a collector car you realize that , eventually you sell it, or after you leave your mortal coil, it becomes an inheritance, or another item sold from your estate.
Why the cars were destroyed is just stupid. The cars minus the engine were built in Italy. So, what? To protect American auto industry workers? Because of protectionist policies like this, the car industry, along with much of American manufacturing, was destroyed. Government is busy helping us right off a cliff as usual. Some things never change.
@@jimlovesgina "Because of protectionist policies like this, the car industry, along with much of American manufacturing, was destroyed." Protectionist policies do not destroy manufacturing jobs; they protect them. Unfair free trade policies that allow foreign manufacturers to dump their product in the US market at a lower than US production cost is what destroyed US manufacturing jobs. That and the excessive greed of Corporate CEOs, the board of directors and share holders. A profit is always necessary in order to sustain a business. However, when the profit becomes exorbitant, it will do more damage than good. And let us not forget the continuous policies that have devalued the US dollar throughout the life of the United States of America. Makes you kind of wonder how much those Chinese made products would cost if the value of the USD was where it was when the country began.
@@scotttovey To much truth in what you say. In modern times, the real nail in the coffin for American manufacturing was when Bill Clinton sign the free trade agreement that let American Corperation move their manufacturing operations to areas with cheaper labor. All those good paying manufacturing jobs went to Mexico & China where they exploit their work force by paying them in bean or rice. What do Americans get back? Shoddy goods made by an untrained workforce. It’s the politicians in a coup with Big Buisness that’s killing America.
@@scotttovey Cannot really argue your point. Look to Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Norway, Finland, etc...basically the entire European Union has a thriving manufacturing sector solely because of their protectionist-based regulations.
Is Jay going to establish a museum for when he passes, so we can all admire these vehicles? I think there should ALWAYS be at least one of each car made kept preserved for historical purposes.
Except a Prius
@@mohammedrahall4127 A Prius is definitely a historical car. Don’t take it for granted.
I've seen comments like this on a few of Jay's vids. Hopefully still a couple of decades before we need to start worrying!
@@NoLongo lol, people love to hate on the Prius. I own a 2006 Prius so it's 15 years old now. It's a great car.
@@mohammedrahall4127 every car is worth saving 1
I just finished Lehto's book, it was a very good read. Thanks to Jay for writing the foreword, which was key to get it published.
Thank you Mr. Leno for preserving and sharing this great car.
My next door neighbor was an engineer for Chrysler and brought this car home. I have always felt this was one of the coolest cars ever made. I was 15 and a car nut, as most of us growing up in Detroit were at that time, and still am to this day.
Look at that machined rear view mirror mount - no detail left untouched!
When cars were "kinetic sculpture"!
Haha! I noticed that too! What a beautiful Car!
There was a time when all auto companies tried to pay attention to the details like that, Sadly the government and EPA and CAFE regulations ended up taking the lions share of development money away from the style department. Thus those awful dashes of the mid 80's cars.
21:56
I rememder a Chrysler I may be wrong with big rear wings with transmission push butons on the dash! first time I drove it when my friend was drunk and asleep, I had to wake him, he said and repeat push buton...tell me where or I leave you in the cars without the key, he extended his arm without looking and push the buton! He didnt remember cause Im sure he would have told that story many times to. our friends! last weekend I saw an old timer with I guess 52 pontiac? original except for motor, a 305, cause he had a hard time to find parts to rebuilt it. Look brand new I will try to talk to him. Who know he might sell it, hes not young but I guess not he love that car more than his wife I think! i might go to work friday for the day shift cause I wanted to take off for night shift starting saturday. in a few decades we wil talk about gaz engines, those 4 and 6 grandpa? no the V8, the masterpiece, the symbol of america like apple pie, not the souless 4 and 6, if it wasnt for those V8 I would talk alone and next time park ur china made Tesla iI hate n the back yard I have a good reputation in town! Bring a case of american beer and teach you how to drive without a computer and use your brain for the skill u need and youll be a real man!
I am 68 and never heard of this car either. I was an auto mechanic and rebuilt many a chrysler transmission in my day.. Now I am obsessed with motorcycles and I own 12 of those from the 70's and 80's. Thanks Jay for this film..I know it's been out for 10 years but this is the first time I have seen it.. Really cool history.
Jay Leno has been an automotive archeologist for some years. These videos preserve the history of technology and he should be praised for his perseverance and investment in an aspect of our history that has attracted such extraordinary engineering and design.
That car is a beauty. Never heard of that car.
Same I heard about it on a podcast, and I legit thought they were mispronouncing turbine.
It as a sensation back in the 60s! My uncle got to drive one. He said that it drove like it cost, half a million dollars.
look up helicoptor engined car. 50,s. tucker. the big 3 saw it as a threat,so had it banned. theres a film about it.
@@IlissaMR they're not mispronoucing turbine.
@@chuck2895 It did cost a half million dollars.
My grandfather was a Chrysler Plymouth Imperial dealer. I keep hearing about these cars as a young kid. My dad was a pilot and was waiting anxiously for the car to hit the market but alas it wasn't to be. Thanks Chrysler for letting Jay Leno buy one. Jay will preserve it and share it with the world...
I saw this car back in Barberton, Ohio. As a kid I was thrilled to see it at Tom Farabough Chrysler Plymouth and at The Magic City Shopping Center. Old memories of an awesome car.
Never like his late show, but this? Im not a mecanic or even pretend to be, but this? Is enjoyable as hell. Great episode Jay. Never stop showing us these beatuys you preserved
I saw one of these cruising along Mac Arthur Blvd. near Coolidge Ave. In Oakland, California in1964. I was driving a '59 Ford Ranch Wagon. The Turbine car passed me you could hear the subtle turbine whine. It was not noisy. Frankly the headlights reminded me of the 64 Dodge Dart front end treatment. Glad I had the experience..
No you didn't Dave, are you smokin' the drapes again?
Jay leno is 100% correct we're only custodian for the next person
As long as its not some idiot who does not understand why and how these cars must be maintained and shared.
I restore antique violins and this comment also connected with me. It's how many collectors talk about the 300 year old valuable instruments.
@@travwil2461951 So, you are talking about our children, right?!! ;D
my old cars went to the scrapyard
@@steelyspielbergo Most cars did, but there is a BIG difference between a "Classic Car" of yesteryear and an "old car". Only "cars guys" like Jay (and me, and others who come here) know, and appreciate, the difference!!
In 1963 my dad worked for Carl Burger Dodge in La Mesa (San Diego area), CA. Chrysler gave Burger one of these cars and asked him to drive the Hell out of it in the mountains and desert. He asked my dad to be one of the drivers. He loved it, but didn't think it was very practical.
My uncles were always intrigued about the idea... They hoped it would catch on...they loved the body style
This car looks more futuristic than modern cars!
+LILPAPASMURF97 yes but retro futuristic
ehsan74827 like the Time Machine of 1960 film.
LILPAPASMURF97, underneath the skin the Chrysler Turbine was just a plain old Chrysler-Dodge-Plymouth assembled out of stock Chrysler parts. It was outfitted to Imperial standards of luxury.
LILPAPASMURF97 ikr
Brian Magee THATS WHAT I THOUGHT! Though I thought that was a Chevy.
When I was a kid, there was someone on my block who had one of these. I remember the sound of it as it drove by. Everyone thought it was the future. Now it's the past. :(
basically the car sector is struggling because of too many regulations.
And without regulations we'd all be choking on smog and auto accidents would increase 10 fold. You want to trust big corporations to keep you safe? Good luck with that!
PAUL PETERSON wow what a very backward comment. many regulations are paid and then put in place to ensure their products are use .
@@Roadking556 I think I know what you tried to say but nah, gov't demanded all of them. Like CAFE stds. You don't think car Co.'s want those do you?
Leslie Horwinkle we're still using gasoline for the most part. and CAFE just seems to be a big scam that was pass onto the consumer.Remember back in the late 70s emissions did not apply to diesel engines ,we were told they burn clean. Now we have DEF.
The respect Mr. Leno has for the individuals who helped bring this car to the world is seen in the way he speaks of them... Mr. Townson, etc.
One of the Chrysler Turbine came to México because the then President (Adolfo López Mateos) was a car enthusiast and, yes: he made it run with Tequila. My uncle Alex worked for the government and they let him drive it around a few, they even took some “instant” photos of him at the Turbine; In those days Polaroid cameras were “the last Coca-Cola in the desert”, since a very early age I developed a true passion for cars, my uncle gave me the photos but over time the photographs faded and the images disappeared. However, it always stayed in my mind trying to investigate more about this beauty (the design in general is superb, even the paint and... it was a turbine car! Rover, Fiat, Renault and General Motors made one or even 3 turbine cars; but as Jay says: Only Chrysler had the guts to do the most complete program for this type of power supply and 54 units!!!, what a pain watching the video when they destroyed these gems: I'm glad to see one is in the correct hands: a car guy who appreciates it. Greetings from sunny México Jay !!!
This was great to see! My family was in Baton Rouge in '64 (when I was 11 years old), and I used to see one of these guys cruising around every once in a while. The sound of the engine was unmistakable then, and still is. Great to heat it again after so many years!
I remember seeing one of the 3 turbine cars delivered to Buffalo, NY back in 1965. I was 15 and the sound was something you never forget. Thanks for the memories Jay.
That's awesome to know that 3 of these cars were in buffalo at one point, me being from buffalo makes me happy.
@@thetrueatx1518 Another buffalo person here aswell!, Awesome!
if it was in the winter maybe they were there to melt the snow!! ;D
Its kind of too bad this video doesn't do the starting sound justice. There is another video from a different vlogger that was at the garage for some occasion, and jay started it up for a few seconds. And that was an awesome sound.
How cool! I’m in Buffalo as well & wonder who got them to drive or own?
THAT was really a COOL and HISTORIC RIDE with the FIRST and probably the last today still running TURBINE- Car in the world....THANK YOU JAY for this wonderful presentation ..... and stay HEALTHY ! Love BTA 🤩
I got to drive one of these when I lived in Detroit in ‘64. My friend knew 2 nuns who had been chosen to have it for a couple of months, and when I went to his house one night, it was there. The nuns gave me the keys and let me drive it. Imagine what it was like, when I, a 16 year old, took it out at night on Woodward Avenue, cruising the drive-in’s! Still remember that night. Magnificent.
I love Jay's comment about not being the owner but a custodian for the next person. True true!!
My Mailman back in the day was one of the lucky guys to get one of these beauties for the "test" ... He turned heads all day long with it...I was sadden when I found out they would not produce it...Now the less, I put my hands all over his test car and the day he had to give it back, I suggested he might hide it!!! Thanks for the memory Jay.👍👍
saddened*
Matthew, are you smokin' the drapes again? That's called stealing!
I was working on the finishing touches at the Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills Michigan when they brought the Turbine car to the building. It was a dream come true for a car guy. The smell of jet fuel exhaust ......
What a great story!...I remember this car being on the cover of Popular Mechanics magazine in the early 60's. God, how I wanted to drive in this. It looks like it could take off and fly to the moon.
You are my hero Mr. Leno! I love in Ky, a disabled coal miner, but I would gladly travel to California for a tour of your garages. You are a true car guy, and I love your videos. Thank you so much!
Anyone else notice a striking design style similarity to the later years Ford Thunderbird?
The 64 to 66 generation!!!
Yes I’ve always thought that. Ford never complained?
I was thinking Studebaker.
The big 3 often copy-catted their rivals popular models, although this design came from Italy, so it's a bit surprising that they 'borrowed' so much of the design from an American car, but they were clearly influenced by the body style of the early-mid '60s Thunderbirds, although the front and back of this car is just plain ugly, IMHO.
Studebakers are cool.....the Avanti!!
I have built and bought models of this amazing car Jay, for many years. I loved this car from the time I first saw it in a magazine back in 1965 or so. A beautiful piece of automotive art!!!
Gotta love Jay Leno. He genuinely enjoys having a massive car collection so he can further enjoy sharing it with everyone else.
Another marvelous video from Jay. He gets my vote to be The World's Most Accomplished Auto Enthusiast. In the video, he said there are only two turbine cars in private hands in all the world, and he has one of them. When I was a kid, the Chrysler Turbine cars were legendary. Chrysler actually worked on the gas turbine for automotive propulsion up to about 1980. They did a lot of work to improve its fuel economy and it did get better, but it always remained behind the gasoline engine which was improving all the time, too.
When this car came out in 1963 I was growing up in Dearborn, Mich and I was amazed at the idea of a turbine powered car. I was born in 1950 and so the car hit the roads around Southfield, Mich when I was 14 and I remember being amazed seeing how the styling was so familiar to the 1963 Ford Thunderbird that one of my neighbors was driving. Then in 1967 the first turbine powered car hit the racetrack for the Indy 500..... would have won the race if not for a $15 bearing that gave out!
I was there for the race. Jones lead the race almost all the way, then with 2 laps to go... My seats were just above his pit. Great race.
Yeah right Ted, are you smokin' the drapes again?
Just watched Steve Lehto's "I Am Not Wrong On This" video and ended up here. Well I am glad I did. What a great car and thank you Jay and Steve for keeping it alive. Cheers Kevin Down Under.
This is as near as we got to the Fallout universe
The style should have been called Nuclearpunk
biggest disappointment of the fallout games, no operational vehicles :(
There were a few nuclear powered concepts, but I guess as far as something that was built you're right.
where were you Ford Nucleon ?
No. Ever hear of the Ford Nucleon? Sure, it wasn't built, but they had a scale model...
Mr. Leno, Thank you so much for keeping this bit of history alive. I am fifty years old and I can honestly say that I was totally unfamiliar with this car and this type of engine. I can't wait to forward this to a friend who loves cars. Of course, I am sure that he is probably very familiar with this car. Thank you for sharing your passion for cars and automotive history with so many people who would quite likely never know about these amazing pieces of history. As I was watching this, I could not help but think that this technology could very likely, with all of the advancements that have been made since 1963, be brought back to life. Again, thank you.
I had the pleasure of being a passenger in one of them when I was about 6 years old. It was so futuristic!
Pretty cool that they really tried to make a turbine car and put thought and got very close to succeeding in making it work out for the masses. Great video Jay, nice to see chrome on the inside of a car for once. And the design that they put into that rear-view mirror is unique. Beautiful ❤️
Something you mentioned is something that I really miss, Chrome in the interior. There's just something so elegant about that. Back when I was a kid , that was a relatively common thing. The only time I see that anymore is when someone either restores or even customizes older vehicles. (Ah the memories).
@@charlesmauro5905 Aren't many cars with chrome on them anywhere anymore. I too miss that about the old cars.
My dad never got to drive that car even though he worked as an exec at Chrysler Corp. I loved that car so much I had a model of it. I once saw one on a neighborhood street in Detroit, it sounded so cool, like a jet cruising by. What a blast from the past to see this, Jay, thanks!
In 1964 I was with my Dad at North Star Chrysler & Plymouth in LA when we was buying a Plymouth Fury. He was always a Plymouth buyer. They had the Turbine Car there demonstrating it. I was lucky to be able to ride in the car as my Dad was doing the paper work on his car. This dealership was in downtown LA so the ride was on surface streets. I do remember the man from Chrysler telling me the car had the equivalent of 130 horsepower but it felt like a V-8 powering it at 200 horsepower. When I asked him what the cost was, he chuckled and said it was not for sale and he thought the cost was about $50,000 in 1964 dollars. It was a neat ride and when I found out it would burn just about anything, I thought for sure it would be a hot seller. Jay was fortunate to be able to get this and in great running condition. Chrysler was innovative just like the Chrysler Air Flow 30 years earlier.
I grew up in Rochester NY. Someone in the area had a turbine car and came to my Dad's station to fill up on kerosene. As a 10 year old I was in awe when he started the engine and we peered at the tach. I even got to sit in the car! Great video!
Thank god that jay has the car there’s no better man to preserve it for future generations
I remember seeing a demonstration at the Milwaukee mile, everyone was hypnotized by the sight and sound.
I remember seeing this car at the 1964 World's Fair in New York with my parents. My dad was very impressed. :)
No one is cooler than Jay Leno.
I saw one of these in 1964/65 when they had an auto show in my city. They were test driving it in the parking lot before they brought it inside. I remember it being a very cool experience for a 10 year old and all the kids in the neighborhood.
from italian im proud ..to know that a italian designer Ghia they have draw this masterpiece of american car ..
Who else do you go to in this world for classy, sexy automotive styling but the Italians? Ferraris and Lamborghinis are at the head of their class. Pininarina and Ghia are top notch in their field.
My VW Karmann Ghia convertible still turns heads and steals hearts!
Part of Jay's appeal is his down to earth, you can talk to me about it attitude. He seems like your brother or best friend.
When I was an apprentice at Rexnord in Wisconsin, one of the engineers had one for for evaluation and testing. At an apprentice meeting he gave a speech about it and had a scaled model to show what it looked like and explain its features. One of the things i remember him saying was when he pulled up to a gas pump and there was floor dry from a fuel spill. When he pulled up to the pump the floor dry flew everywhere covering the attendant with floor dry.
I caught a glimpse of one of these at the World's Fair 1964 - They were handing out passes/tickets for people to take rides in. I didn't get one. Sure wish I did. I remember the sound of it. So understanding more about it was a real treat, Mr. Leno thank you!
I'm impressed how calm you are driving an irreplaceable car in LA.
I saw the first one when I was fourteen. I was a paperboy. I heard a wierd sound and loved all the cars then. I kept watching and a jet turbine car came by. I was mesmerized, I came home and told my brother and said no way but later read about it in the newspaper in Portsmouth.
This was great to see! My family was in Baton Rouge in '64 (when I was 11 years old), and I used to see one of these guys cruising around every once in a while. The sound of the engine was unmistakable then, and still is. Great to heat it again after so many years!
Today it’s the first time I hear about this car, so I thought Jay Leno must have a video about it. And yes, plus to my surprise a really complete one. Thanks Jay!
I always come back every couple of months to watch this again for a few minutes. Everything about this car is interesting!
This very car, with Jay, was shown in James May's show "Cars of the People". It 's a very nice show, 2 seasons, 3 episodes per season.
Captain Slow?
Thank you Mr. Leno for sharing some of your life's passions with us. I have always been a car fan. My first car was a Rambler coupe with a "Twin Stick" (overdrive) transmission. I had it for almost 2 years before I traded it for a '65 GTO (3 deuces). Not certain, but while I was overseas flying Huey's for a year, I suspect Dad had more fun with that car than I did before or afterward. He was 54 - 55 at the time, and I was tickled to offer him use of a 'mid-life crisis' car he NEVER would have bought for himself. My personal apologies for the malcontent, supercritical commentary that appears far too regularly in these comments, and I appreciate that you continue to share your experiences with those of us who envy, take joy from, and embrace your efforts.
Specific thanks for the 356C piece and for introducing Wilhoit Auto. That 2132 mod with the short shifter would love to be in my 356, but I'm afraid it needs an interior rebuild first.
I saw one demonstrated in the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. I was young and impressionable. I can still see it in my mind. It was something else!!
So grateful for Jay Leno and his love of cars and his eagerness to share them with the world.
I have no clue of how many times I've seen this video since it was published... As a Chrysler Corp cars lover, this is a masterpiece to me!!