Vehicle Description
In the 1950s and early 1960s, the Jet Age reached its peak in
America. From sci-fi movies to heavily-stylized kitchen appliances,
Americans were obsessed with jets, rockets, and space travel.
Thanks in large part to designers like Harley Earl, American cars
were heavily influenced by the world of aviation, first with the
tail fins of the late 40s, later morphing into the wild looking
afterburner-motif taillights, flight-deck inspired dashboards, and
names likeJetfire,Rocket 88, andSatellite. But aside from the
superfluous styling cues, advanced aviation technology also
influenced the engineering departments of the big three. Chrysler
emerged as a leader in adapting aerospace tech for the road. Their
research into alternative power sources began before World War II,
which led the US military to sponsor the development of a turboprop
engine for aircraft. In the 1950s, Chrysler engineers capitalized
on that experience and set about developing the gas turbine engine
for automobile use. The turbine had a few shortcomings to making it
ideal for use in an automobile, such as the lack of engine braking,
high fuel consumption, high heat, and acceleration lag. But it had
enormous potential thanks to its relative simplicity, near-silent
operation, exceptional power-to-weight ratio, and low maintenance.
Chrysler's first successful track test came in 1954, followed by a
3,020-mile cross-country test, using a turbine-powered '56 Plymouth
sedan. That experience fueled a new generation of turbine engine
that was more powerful, compact, and efficient than ever before.
They followed that successful test with the wild-looking,
Exner-designed Turboflite concept car, which toured the country to
gauge public reaction to a gas-turbine automobile. With enthusiasm
high, Chrysler announced in February 1962 that it would build
approximately 50 turbine-powered cars for a public real-world test
program. Styling was done in-house, overseen by the new design
chief, Elwood Engel. Engel replaced Exner in 1961 and introduced a
more sophisticated, slab-sided design language, which he honed
while working at Ford - which explains the Turbine's passing
resemblance to a late 50s Ford Thunderbird. The jet-age motifs were
more subdued than the wild fins and chrome of the Exner era, and
the Turbine Car was understated yet distinctly elegant. To save on
tooling costs, Chrysler contracted with their longtime partners
Ghia in Turin, Italy, to build the body shells, which were then
shipped to Michigan to mate with their bespoke chassis. All except
one were painted a unique shade of bronze with a black vinyl roof
and bronze interior. Fifty-five Chrysler Turbine Cars were built,
encompassing five prototypes and 50 production cars. Chrylser
opened the program to a nationwide pool of applicants who vied for
a chance to drive one of the vehicles free of charge, for three
months at a time over two years. It allowed Chrysler to compile
massive amounts of data and priceless public relations from a
relatively small pool of vehicles. After the highly publicized test
program, all 50 cars returned to Chrysler for evaluation. Engineers
crash-tested one prototype and, to prevent the remaining lot from
becoming "used cars" and tarnishing the project's image, consigned
45 of the remaining production cars to a Detroit scrapyard where
they were summarily crushed and burned. While this seems appalling
today, it is not uncommon for a manufacturer to destroy prototypes
to protect their technology. Thankfully, one Chrysler exec came up
with the idea of setting a few cars aside for static display in
educational museums around the country. Nine were spared, including
three retained by Chrysler. At the same time, six went respectively
to the Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, MO, The Henry Ford,
The Smithsonian Institution, the Natural History Museum of Los
Angeles (later the Petersen Automotive Museum), the Detroit
Historical Museum, and the Harrah Collection Museum of Reno, NV.
Today, all nine of the legendary Chrysler Turbine Cars remain, yet
only two are in private hands - one in Jay Leno's Collection, and
the other, chassis number 991231, is offered here for the first
time in over 30 years. Chassis number 991231 is the crown jewel of
the Kleptz Collection, with the distinction of being the only
Chrysler Turbine car available on the open market today. As
offered, it is in exceptionally well-preserved condition, finished
in its original metallic bronze paintwork with complementing
upholstery, all original fittings and fixtures, and a host of
spares, documents, and technical information. It is believed that
991231 spent much of its service life on the West Coast, performing
"VIP duties," meaning it was retained by Chrysler and loaned out
weekly to executives, sales managers, award-winning salespeople,
and anyone else who Chrysler Corporation thought should experience
this wholly unique automobile. Allegedly, it was initially slated
to be one of two cars donated to the Natural History Museum in LA,
likely to save on shipping costs back to Detroit. William Harrah
approached Chrysler requesting one of the Turbine Cars for his
museum, and the company obliged, giving him 991231 along with a
spare engine. It is believed that the car never ran while at
Harrah's, and some assume it was related to terms of the donation,
though the collection did have severalthousandvehicles by that
time. When much of the Harrah collection was dispersed, 991231 was
acquired by Domino's Pizza founder and noted car collector Tom
Monaghan. Frank Kleptz acquired the Turbine Car from Mr. Monaghan
in the late 1980s while at the AACA National Meet in Hershey. It
was not running at the time, though Kleptz did get spare engines
along with the deal. In the late 1990s/early 2000s, Kleptz got
serious about getting the Turbine Car up and running, and he
enlisted the help of GE Engine Services, who reproduced several
essential precision parts and aided in the rebuilding of the
engine. While it has seen limited use over the past decade, it
remains operational and has recently been test-fired, making it one
of just a few running examples extant. Cosmetically, the car is in
beautifully well-preserved original condition. The paintwork and
bespoke trim are in excellent order, and it wears original tires
and color-keyed wheel covers. The orange-bronze interior is
relatively conventional in its layout, except for the stylized
center console with its unique controls and levers, lending the car
a distinctly space-age and purposeful character. It is accompanied
by a vast file of engineering drawings, technical information, and
historical documentation. The sale will also include a spare engine
and transmission assembly. As one of only two Chrysler Turbine Cars
in private hands, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
acquire one of the most fascinating, technically sophisticated
American cars of the twentieth century. The remarkable Chrysler
Turbine Car was the pride of the Kleptz Collection, and it will
undoubtedly take center stage in its next custodian's collection.
For additional details please view this listing directly on our
website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6865-1963-chrysler-turbine-car/
