Part VIa: Experiments in Power
20250527-SDIM6279 by
Travis Butler, on Flickr
The
Chrysler Turbine always struck me as So Cool when I first read about it. Instead of the complicated machinery of a piston engine, the turbine was like a jet engine - conceptually simple, compact and smooth, capable of burning just about any fuel, from gasoline to peanut oil.
20250527-SDIM6293 by
Travis Butler, on Flickr
The styling leaned into the futuristic vibe.
Sadly, while conceptually simple, the turbine took a lot of expertise to produce, with high-quality alloys required for things like the turbine blades. Worse, power was somewhat lacking and fuel economy was poor. Chrysler ended the program in 1979.
Another technological dead end (well, mostly) was the
Wankel Engine.
20250527-SDIM6285 by
Travis Butler, on Flickr
While not quite as conceptually simple as the turbine, Wankel (a.k.a. Rotary) Engines had fewer moving parts than a piston engine, and also promised compact power with smooth operation. They first appeared in cars in the mid-60s, and looked like a coming thing with several models released in the next decade. Unfortunately, they didn't work out (famously, the
AMC Pacer was originally designed for a rotary engine); engine seals were an ongoing problem, and emissions/fuel economy never got up to spec. Mazda delightfully used them to power its RX line of sports cars, until emissions standards finally ended production in 2012.
20250527-SDIM6280 by
Travis Butler, on Flickr
GM's EV1 was another famous flop, introduced in 1996 and discontinued in 1999, with barely 1000 cars produced.
20250527-SDIM6282 by
Travis Butler, on Flickr
The ending is happier, though, as the EV1 pioneered the electric models we're seeing on the roads today.
20250527-SDIM6265 by
Travis Butler, on Flickr
We'll end the auto tour with a couple of classic models. (Keep an eye on the Holiday Inn sign...)
