The Very First Turbo Technology – Oldsmobile Jetfire Turbo Rocket V-8

The Oldsmobile Jetfire was an ambitious project, perhaps a bit ahead of its time based on the technology available in the early 1960’s. The first turbocharged production V8 engine boasted an impressive 1:1 horsepower-to-cubic-inch ratio, generating 215 HP and a stout 300 ft/lbs of torque.

The car also featured a unique “Turbo Rocket Fluid” injection system that helped cool the charge air temperatures and prevent detonation. The fluid – a mixture of distilled water, methanol, and a rust inhibitor – had a dedicated reservoir under the hood, and when it ran dry, the turbo was bypassed, preventing detonation and damage to the engine. Unfortunately, many drivers let this tank run dry and stay that way, resulting in returns to the dealership with complaints of the car lacking power.

Other owners drove the car conservatively and didn’t get the car “in the boost” enough to properly lubricate the turbo, resulting in frozen and damaged turbochargers. Despite the innovation present in the fluid injection system, the boost was dropped from the lineup after just two years in production due to the number of complaints, though most of them were caused by the owners themselves. Now we know, 5 decades later, that the engineers at Oldsmobile had the right idea, they were just a bit too forward-thinking.