History's Innovative Autos
Jet engines
During World War II, automotive companies inspired by advances in
jet engines tried to adapt the technology for use in cars.
Chrysler's so-called Turbine Car (above) used a rotary fan,
propelled by rapidly burning fuel, to drive the vehicle. By 1963,
such experimental turbine engines could run on gasoline, jet fuel,
or even vegetable oil, and like actual jet engines, they provided
powerful acceleration. But they also suffered from significant
problems, among them high fuel consumption. Rover's Jet-1, for
instance, traveled just six miles per gallon.