On This Day

Thursday 28th January 1954

66 years ago

The XP-21 Firebird, the first gas turbine automobile ever to be built and tested in the United States, was introduced by General Motors in New York City. The design is entirely impractical, with a bubble topped canopy over a single seat cockpit, a bullet shaped fuselage made entirely of fiberglass, short wings, and a vertical tail fin. It had a 370 hp (280 kW) Whirlfire Turbo Power gas turbine engine, which had two speeds, and expelled jet exhaust at some 1,250 °F (677 °C). The entire weight of the car was 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) and had a 100 inch wheelbase. At first, GMs project leader, Emmett Conklin was the only person qualified to drive it, and he tested it up to 100 mph (160 km/h), but upon shifting into second gear the tires lost traction under the extreme engine torque and he immediately slowed down for fear of crashing. The car was later test driven at the Indianapolis Speedway by race car driver Mauri Rose. The car was never actually intended to test the power or speed potential of the gas turbine, but merely the practical feasibility of its use. The braking system differed from standard drum systems, in that the drums were on the outside of the wheels to facilitate fast cooling, and the wings had aircraft style flaps for slowing from high speed. A miniature version of the Firebird crowns the Harley J. Earl Trophy, given to the winner of the Daytona 500.