Going For A Drive In Jay Leno's Turbine Car

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto) 09/24/2014 at 13:00 • Filed to: None

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I have a fascination with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and a couple of years ago I got to drive the one Jay Leno owns. How that came about is quite a strange story.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about an event called the Italian Hall disaster, where 73 people died at a children's Christmas party when someone falsely yelled "Fire!" in a crowded theater, setting off a stampede. The book sold well and a bookstore in northern Michigan ran an ad suggesting Death's Door made a "Great Holiday Gift." Someone sent the ad to Jay Leno and he ran it on his Headlines segment. I got phone calls from around the country the next day from people saying they saw me on the Tonight Show .

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I had been working on a book about Chrysler's Turbine Car program and thought Jay might be interested in it since he is a well-known car guy. I took a copy of Death's Door (which Makes a great Holiday gift!) and gift wrapped it in gaudy paper and put a bow on it. I signed it, "Merry Christmas, Jay!" I included a note and a copy of what I had done on the Turbine Car.

A few weeks later my secretary buzzed me. "A guy who says he is Jay Leno is on line one." She assumed it was a friend of mine who used different celebrity names each time he called. Jay got my package and told me he thought it was funny. And he enjoyed what I had written on the Turbine Car. He told me he would keep my number.

A few years later, Jay bought one of the three Turbine Cars kept by Chrysler !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (of 55 built). He called me again and asked if I could get him in touch with Bill Carry, a retired Chrysler technician who had maintained these cars back in the day. I had interviewed Carry and knew he would love to help Jay. I got the two of them together and later, Jay called to thank me. He said, "If you are ever in L.A. let me know and you can come by and drive the Turbine Car."

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Shortly after, I was standing in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , his collection of cars and motorcycles, getting a tour before going out in the Turbine. I had arranged to write a story about this for Mopar Action magazine and was accompanied by Cliff Gromer, editor, photographer, writer. This day would be very well documented.

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Jay owns more than a hundred cars and probably just as many motorcycles. They all run, are plated and insured, and he drives them. He is often seen cruising around town in all manner of cars. We walked through the collection and Jay answered my questions, many of which were "What is this?" and "What is that?" There is no shame in asking, considering how eclectic the collection is.

We stopped at the Turbine Car, which Jay had parked next to his other turbine car, the EcoJet. He also has a turbine-powered motorcycle.Each vehicle in his collection has a story and Jay knows them all. I felt like a talk show host quizzing him on the cars but he didn't mind. I suspect he enjoys talking about them almost as much as he likes driving them.

Jay told me he had first seen a Turbine Car at the 1964 World's Fair in New York and had dreamed about owning one ever since. Now that he had one, it had gotten its share of driving. Jay fired the car up and pulled it out of the building. The car whooshes. People often describe the engine sounding like a big vacuum cleaner and in some respects that is pretty accurate. It is not loud, just different.

I got in the passenger seat and we headed out. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday in Burbank. We had the windows rolled down and I took in the scenery. Jay Leno at the wheel of a Turbine Car and me in the passenger seat. I noticed that pedestrians would turn and look at the car before it passed them, drawn by the unusual sound. Some people noticed who was driving the car and waved. Jay waved back. This next photo is not the greatest I ever took but you will recognize that it is a Turbine Car. On the road. Taken from inside the car.

We drove for a few miles and Cliff asked Jay if he knew of any nice open areas where we could photograph the car. Jay pulled into an office complex with a huge parking lot and took us around back. He stopped the car in the middle of an acre of asphalt and we all got out. As Cliff snapped pictures I noticed some activity near the building. Even though it was Saturday, there were apparently a few workers in the building who noticed that there was an unusual car out back being photographed with Jay Leno standing next to it. A few people came over and said Hello.

As we were wrapping up, I mentioned to Jay that he had told me I could drive the car. I thought this was a good place to mention it since I could loop the parking lot and not risk harming anything, no matter how bad a driver I might be. I mean, Jay's a nice guy and all but I wouldn't expect him to let me drive this car in traffic.

"Oh no." He handed me the keys. "Drive us back to the garage."

Don't get me wrong: I was happy to drive the car anywhere but I had just assumed it was going to be a quick spin in a safe environment. I grabbed the key and got in. I turned the key and heard the turbine spool up. Soon, I was controlling the throttle that created the whoosh. I told Jay I had no idea where we were or how to get back to his garage so he would have to give me directions as we went.

I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. The car handled a lot like my old Charger. The steering seemed light and the ride was nice. I tried to baby the accelerator, thinking of the cost of rebuilding an almost-50 year old turbine. When we got out onto a main road, I kept good distances between us and the cars in front of us and to the side of us and behind us. Heaven forbid I was the guy at the wheel if we got rear-ended. Eventually we made it back to the garage. I think I drove it about 5 miles but I didn't check the odometer. The whole time I was struck by how - if you couldn't hear the engine - you would have had no idea that there was anything different about this car. It was just a remarkably smooth ride.

To create a cover photo, Jay pulled his Hemi Challenger out and parked it next to the Turbine Car. There was a Hemi Coronet about ten feet away from these two. It was amazing.

As we were saying our goodbyes, Jay mentioned to me that "If it would help," he'd be happy to write a foreword for my Turbine Car book. It did help; he wrote the foreword. I also wrote an article for Mopar Action about the Turbine Car and Cliff wrote about the other Mopars in Jay's collection. My book was published by Chicago Review Press, as I mention in my bio at the bottom of these pieces. A little while later, Jay invited me back to talk about the book for a segment of his !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! <- There we talk about the car but it was the first visit where I got to drive the car.

I've gotten to do some !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in my writing career, often involving cars and other modes of transportation (helicopter, B-17, Viper GTS, parachute, etc). But driving through Burbank In Jay Leno's Turbine Car clearly tops the list.

Follow me on twitter: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Picture of me by Cliff Gromer as is the wonderful pic on the cover of Mopar Action.

Steve Lehto is a writer and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! from Michigan. He wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

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Tohru > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:06

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Jay Leno is a car guy's car guy. Nothing but respect for the man.

Vimto > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:07

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Seems like Mr. Leno is a stand-up guy in general, at least in the car world. I honestly don't know the first thing about these Turbine experiments, but I would love to read about them and learn the magic behind them in time.

SteveLehto > Tohru 09/24/2014 at 13:08

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His collection is amazing as well. I had no idea what to expect and I was blown away by it.

Sweet Trav > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:09

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I cannot wait until turbine electric hybrids are all the rage Steve.

Great Story!

SteveLehto > Vimto 09/24/2014 at 13:09

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I hear someone wrote a whole book on that. It was an amazing experiment. The first Chrysler turbine rolled in 1953 and the program was shut down in the 1980s. Most people don't realize how long the program lasted.

SteveLehto > Sweet Trav 09/24/2014 at 13:10

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Thanks. I'm waiting for that day as well!

Vimto > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:11

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I assume that was a bit of a shameless plug. :p

Was this Turbine car approximately the size of a modern compact, smaller, larger, somewhere in between?

SteveLehto > Vimto 09/24/2014 at 13:13

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I have no shame! This particular car was a tiny bit toward the small side although it did have back seats. They built a couple larger turbines in the program as well. What was neat about this model is that it was purpose-built to be the car for this power plant. Some people have suggested they should have kept the body style and sold them with regular piston engines. I bet they would have sold.

zeontestpilot > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:15

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Excellent post! *thumbs up*

SteveLehto > zeontestpilot 09/24/2014 at 13:16

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Thanks!

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:17

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Jay seems like an awesome guy and it's so cool you can go for rides with him!

Good to know we have an authority on turbine cars here on Oppo too!

SteveLehto > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif 09/24/2014 at 13:23

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Lemon law, turbines, winged cars, Tuckers, and a few other things (keep me in mind). Yes, Jay is a heck of a nice guy.

Thanks for the note.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:24

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Awesome, will do!

Sn210 > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:24

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Thats awesome! This is the closest ill get to a turbine car...

SteveLehto > Sn210 09/24/2014 at 13:26

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Cool paint job!

Jayhawk Jake > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:27

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I spend too much time on computers, this picture looks like a rendering. It's very odd.

davedave1111 > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:30

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Can I have Jay Leno's email address? If I'm ever in California, I'll email him and say 'remember when you said I could drive your Bugattis if I'm ever in the area?' and hope he doesn't remember all the people who he says that to :)

SteveLehto > Jayhawk Jake 09/24/2014 at 13:31

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My fault. It was horribly underexposed and I lightened it. It is a real photograph though.

SteveLehto > davedave1111 09/24/2014 at 13:33

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Interestingly, he has a great memory when he comes to those cars!

Seriously, he has so many cars and an encyclopedic knowledge of each of them. Not just the make and model but what made each one unique, why he bought it and the story of the particular car if it had a story. And many of them did. It was amazing.

Jayhawk Jake > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:37

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It's honestly an interesting effect.

SteveLehto > Jayhawk Jake 09/24/2014 at 13:40

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When we first walked into that section, the overhead lights were not on (at least not the main ones). I have a nice DSLR and I know I can fix almost anything later so I was just snapping away. Many of the pics I took indoors were dark and some needed more fixing than others. I just chose this pic because it has a row of similar but different-looking vehicles in a row. (Nice symmetry).

CAR_IS_MI > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:46

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This is a truly awesome story and experience. Thanks for sharing.

SteveLehto > CAR_IS_MI 09/24/2014 at 13:49

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Thanks for the note.

davedave1111 > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 13:53

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Sometimes I wonder whether he finds any time to do anything else these days.

SteveLehto > davedave1111 09/24/2014 at 13:57

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He still does a ton of stand up, all over the country. I think he is traveling a bit more now that he has left the Tonight Show. But the garage is more than enough to keep anyone happily occupied.

melikecars > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:10

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I think I remember reading he has a turbine-powered sportbike too.

SteveLehto > melikecars 09/24/2014 at 14:12

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Yes, two cars and a motorcycle.

You had fordboy357 at "meat tornado" > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:17

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Though I can't stand his jokes or his voice, I love his weird taste in cars, isn't afraid to talk about them, and that he actually gets them out of the garage.

'olJackBurtonAlwaysSays > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:19

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Fun Fact: The turbine can run on anything flammable. Ran out of gas next to the liqueur store, grab a bottle of whiskey and your back on the road.

"Officer, I swear that smell is just my gas tank(hic)."

SteveLehto > 'olJackBurtonAlwaysSays 09/24/2014 at 14:20

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Yes, they did demonstrations on all kinds of stuff, including Tequila.

Augustus Gloop > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:25

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If you haven't read Steve's book on this subject, I recommend it. I gave it to my car-crazy father as a Christmas gift awhile back, and I think he's leant it to every friend he has.

Noah - Now with more boost. > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:25

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thanks for the write-up! what an experience.

SteveLehto > Augustus Gloop 09/24/2014 at 14:27

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Thanks!

'olJackBurtonAlwaysSays > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:28

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I just read the description on Amazon and was reminded that they also tested Chanel #5. That's one expensive tank of fuel!

What's Jay use for his?

dave the swede car guy > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:29

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A friend of my father's (his business mentor) had one of the original 55 loaners for a bit. My dad compared it to his previous and current rides at the time ( 57 LTD Convertible and a 64 Merc Monterey) by saying the power was good , handling was about the same but the car was so smooth. They apparently got to open it up on the PA Turnpike when the section near Harrisburg was straight for a long distance and said the motor was still smooth and quiet over 85mph. I was 1 at the time, so no personal memories of it.....

SteveLehto > 'olJackBurtonAlwaysSays 09/24/2014 at 14:29

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The only thing you CAN'T run is leaded gasoline (common then, not so much now). I believe he runs diesel which was the recommended fuel back then as well.

SteveLehto > dave the swede car guy 09/24/2014 at 14:30

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Very cool. I interviewed a few of the people who had them and that's pretty much what they all said.

J-Tenno > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:32

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How was it to drive in the traffic? And gearing?

SteveLehto > J-Tenno 09/24/2014 at 14:37

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Traffic was light so I didn't experience any stop and go. That is probably where the turbine lag would have been more noticeable. The car got up and went when you stepped on the gas, just a fraction of a second later. It was something you could easily get used to.

Arrivederci > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:37

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Very cool story and envious that you actually got to pilot a turbine car! Everything I read and hear about Jay just makes it seem like he is the penultimate car guy - just an amazing person who fully understands and embraces our collective obsession.

StevenG > 'olJackBurtonAlwaysSays 09/24/2014 at 14:38

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Whiskey is not flammable. It is only 40% alcohol, bottled in bond bourbon would work I guess. If you burn bottled in bond rye, then we simply cannot be friends.

StevenG > Sweet Trav 09/24/2014 at 14:38

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I am kind of surprised we have not seen more of them yet.

dustin_driver > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:42

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How was the throttle response? The torque? The power delivery? Always been curious. Also, absolutely gorgeous car, inside and out.

BadLag > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:44

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I think they would have sold as well with a regular engine. Car looks like a 65 TBird, very beautiful styling.

SteveLehto > dustin_driver 09/24/2014 at 14:48

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Throttle response was good but there was a lag getting it to the rear wheels due to how the trans was set up (Torqueflite with no torque convertor). Torque was HUGE at zero RPM . The key was to anticipate when you needed it.

soney gande > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:49

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Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job I've had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link, go to tech tab for work detail

 w­w­w.J­o­b­s­7­0­0­0.C­o­m

StephenWuebker > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 14:56

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I can't get over how much the EcoJet looks like the Cadillac ElMiraj concept

SteveLehto > StephenWuebker 09/24/2014 at 14:58

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There was some overlap with the design people I think. It's been a while since I saw it but they did a doc on the making of the Eco Jet and he used some designers with connections to GM.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:00

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guessing this is probably in your book, but what ultimately killed the turbine idea (fuel economy?)

SteveLehto > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 09/24/2014 at 15:01

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No. It's a bit more complex but tailpipe emission standards, the cost of retooling for a new technology and the fact that Chrysler was about to cave in financially.

Ruprecht the monkey boy > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:03

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Great article but no under hood pictures?

SteveLehto > Ruprecht the monkey boy 09/24/2014 at 15:06

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I've got millions of pics and only so much space. Check out my Fbook page on this for pics of everything. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chrysler…

Maxxuman > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:08

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Looking forward to your piece on this:

Seriously though, very cool story about your day with Jay and the "Engelbird".

BigHarv > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:18

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You know, a lot of popular old turbines are relatively cheap to fix, especially compared to new ones (just like piston engines!), but you'd probably have to custom machine a lot of the stuff for those low production run Chrysler units.

SteveLehto > BigHarv 09/24/2014 at 15:20

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I have spoken to the guys in St Louis about theirs and they have had to custom make a bunch of smaller parts simply because the parts at not available. Now, shoe horning in an off-the-shelf turbine from another application has its merits . . .

BigHarv > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:29

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True, but man, a bespoke engine is a good idea if you really want to optimize it for automotive use.

Grannypotts > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:31

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I just now put 2 and 2 together and realized you are the author of "Death's Door". Old man Larry Lankton recommended this book while I was taking "Copper Country History" up at Tech.

Jay Leno? Pfffttt... EVERYONE seems to have met Jay Leno. A referral by the Copper Country guru himself, now THAT is something you should be more proud of. :-)

Jayhawk Jake > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:33

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I think it's a combination of a few factors.

For one, I have been playing video games far too long and using cad programs for a while so it just has that randered 'look' to me.

The floor looks unnatural too, and it looks like something you'd find in a cad rendering program, so that contributes to the uncanny valley of it looking like a rendering. The floor in the foreground is so bright it just looks completely flat with no texture, which also looks like something you'd see in cad.

Finally, that rectangular shadow under the cars is so sharp it looks unreal.

I'm not saying it's a bad picture, I'm just intrigued by it.

SteveLehto > Grannypotts 09/24/2014 at 15:34

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I have a hard time imagining Larry recommending my books to anyone. He has, on more than one occasion, come to heckle me when I spoke in the Copper Country. And I mean LITERALLY heckle me.

Don't get me wrong. I have a certain amount of respect for him. He is one of the few writers of UP history who spells my name and my book titles correctly.

Did you go to Tech?

perkunas > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:36

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I'm not a big fan of Jay's comedy or show hosting, but what an awesome guy he is when it comes to cars. A true jalop. It must've been such an honor to meet him in person. One of my personal dreams for sure.

SteveLehto > Jayhawk Jake 09/24/2014 at 15:37

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Here is the pic as I took it. The building has better lighting but it wasn't turned on. And at that distance, the flash was meaningless. Take that pic and brighten it and you get the pic I used.

SteveLehto > perkunas 09/24/2014 at 15:40

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He is really a great guy. I can assure you that Jay is as nice as he seems on TV. It is not an act. I have been to the garage twice and both times was struck by what a friendly and genuine guy he was. And the generosity of showing me around, writing the foreword to the book, putting me on his website video, were all very cool.

SimonsBen > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:43

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i have some of the early turbine stuff - a full press kit on the car that was loaned to a woman in Gulfport Florida, image slicks, owner's manual, brochure, early experiment book, dealer promo models, etc. do you want copies?

J-Tenno > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:45

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Similar to a bad case of turbo lag?

SteveLehto > SimonsBen 09/24/2014 at 15:46

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I have quite a bit of that but I may want to compare what you have with what I have. Can you email me: Lehto@kennon.com

Thanks.

SteveLehto > J-Tenno 09/24/2014 at 15:47

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"Bad" is a relative term. I have had a couple of turbocharged cars and I wouldn't say this was any worse. It was something you would get used to. I know that in later iterations (this was the 4th generation of 7 they made) they had done some things to reduce it a bit.

GreenN_Gold > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:50

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Thanks, I was gonna ask what he fuels it with.

JalapenoStu > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:52

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Is this a Stealie? Like, wow, man!

SteveLehto > GreenN_Gold 09/24/2014 at 15:52

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I'm 99% certain that's what it was. I know he has other diesels in his collection so it would be a fairly easy thing for him to do.

GreenN_Gold > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 15:53

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Awesome story!

And it has become clear you are a bit of a Mopar guy, which is A-OK in my book.

SteveLehto > GreenN_Gold 09/24/2014 at 15:55

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Thanks. And Yes I am, especially when it comes to cars from the 1960s.

PJ > Arrivederci 09/24/2014 at 15:56

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He's the second-to-last car guy?

1972Honda600 > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 16:01

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you thought turbo lag was bad, try turbine lag. JK, I don't know anything but I wonder if that's a thing... Jay's steam cars are pretty insane tho!

Arrivederci > PJ 09/24/2014 at 16:03

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LOL - clearly I need to work on my vocab!

Jayhawk Jake > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 16:04

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Even that picture looks like a rendering to me. I think it's just the lighting setup and the floor messing with my brain

Grannypotts > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 16:05

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"...if you want a good background of the Italian Hall Disaster, you can also check out 'Death's Door' for another opinion."

This was, of course, after already requiring us to read his "Cradle to Grave." I enjoyed his class, I can see how he would get overly passionate and protective of the local history.

I was up at Tech from 1993 to 1998 where I learned how to operate a radio station (91.9FM WMTU), ski moguls on Mt. Ripley, and snow rallyingalong the Dokken / Tapiola logging road.

Oh yeah, I think I picked up a degree or two along the way as well.

Stephen Krogmeier > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 16:08

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Steve, I just wanted to thank you for writing these articles. As a law student buried in books and cases, I often forget that my career might be able to intersect with my passions in the future. Every article you write reminds me of that.

SteveLehto > 1972Honda600 09/24/2014 at 16:16

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Didn't seem bad to me and I've driven both, turbines and turbos. Jay actually took us for a ride in a steam car. I didn't put it in the story due to space. Maybe another time.

SteveLehto > Jayhawk Jake 09/24/2014 at 16:17

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I think too many artificial "worlds" use bold shadows and checkerboards to create perspective. So it looks similar in that respect.

perkunas > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 16:17

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What can I say, I'm just jealous. I can say the same about Jerry Seinfeld, I'm not a fan of his stand-up, but Seinfeld was a great show and I love Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. One of the best shows that I've ever seen. Encompasses just everything that I love.

SteveLehto > Grannypotts 09/24/2014 at 16:19

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Death's Door came out in '06 - were you talking to him later? You must have been.

He is a little upset with me because I pointed out that much of the writing of Arthur Thurner was really fiction, and Larry relied heavily on Thurner without checking any of it. Thurner's endnotes are hilariously bad.

Did you see "Red Metal"? It was a PBS doc that came out last year. I was in it (as was Larry).

SteveLehto > perkunas 09/24/2014 at 16:20

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I feel the same way about Seinfeld. Never cared for his standup but loved the show (And Cars/Coffee).

Thanks for the note.

ptak appreciates old racecars > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 16:21

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I've read your book (most of it, I had to travel and it was from the library). There's some really fascinating information on the program, it makes one wonder what could have been. Chrysler was always an innovator as far as design and engineering went.

SteveLehto > ptak appreciates old racecars 09/24/2014 at 16:22

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Thanks. Let me know when you finish it!

Ruprecht the monkey boy > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 16:31

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Great, thanks!

PJ > Arrivederci 09/24/2014 at 16:33

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It could still be correct / true! A lot of us past that point in time could be false car guys. Only the Car Gods know for sure.

Grannypotts > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 17:07

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Sorry, I forgot to mention that it was either '09 or '10 that I ran into Larry on campus while I was up at KRC with Chrysler for winter testing. He was doing some promo for his Hallowed Ground book and I stopped by to chat him up.

What prompted the Italian Hall conversation was that he led me to believe during his class that all escape doors needed to hinge outwards as a result of the disaster. Yet, every photo I saw of the old hall showed them already hinging outwards. That's when he mentioned your book.

Never saw Red Metal (sounds like a genre for Irish speed metal music) but I'll have to check it out now.

SteveLehto > Grannypotts 09/24/2014 at 17:12

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The law on door direction was passed before the Italian Hall was BUILT. (The Iroquois Theater fire where 600+ died in a theater that actually had inward opening doors inspired the change). Yes, we have photos of the doors and they all opened correctly. I found one that had not been published (other than one time in 1914) which clearly showed this. That is the pic on the cover of my book.

Here is the link to the PBS doc. http://www.pbs.org/program/red-me…

BrowningNagle > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 17:40

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Is your Turbine tome available on Kindle, Steve?

SteveLehto > BrowningNagle 09/24/2014 at 18:04

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Yes. -> http://www.amazon.com/Chryslers-Turb…

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webmonkees > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 18:47

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130 as of July. Does he still have a wish list?

Chasaboo > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 20:00

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I think Americans can make really good looking cars if given half a chance but for some reason the best ones never seem to get the right amount of exposure. This car is absolutely beautiful! I'd hate to find out later it was actually styled by an Italian!

Come on America! Let's make some great looking cars for a change!

f86sabre > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 20:08

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I think you need to share the B-17 story...

SteveLehto > webmonkees 09/24/2014 at 20:24

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Since the number keeps climbing, I just ballpark. Not sure about a list.

SteveLehto > Chasaboo 09/24/2014 at 20:27

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Styled by Americans but built in Italy by Ghia.

SteveLehto > f86sabre 09/24/2014 at 20:28

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I have to find my pictures. It was the Yankee Lady from Ypsilanti, MI.

Du09 > Jayhawk Jake 09/24/2014 at 22:14

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its the shadows, looks like a shot from forza 3 to me as well haha

tobythesandwich > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 22:15

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This was actually a decent article.
I don't know the general consensus of Leno around here. I hear mixed things about him from car guys. Most are usually not great. Personally everything I see about him is that he's a great guy.

webmonkees > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 22:31

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Oh yeah, I didn't mean it as an omission, or even relevant. I didn't even know that number till I looked it up 5 minutes prior :)

roflcopter > SteveLehto 09/24/2014 at 23:31

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I know it's not exactly on the same level as turbine power, but have you ever considered doing more research and documentation on rotary engines? Not so much the actual production hurdles that they went through that have been well documented by the great minds who worked both at NSU and Mazda back in the day, but the different ideas and reasons behind it not catching on. I find it fascinating the different interpretations that were tried and the history of NSU and how they managed to essentially drive themselves out of business with the thing.

Random tangent, but maybe it will spur some ideas you could run with!