FIAT History, Vol. 6
The FIAT Turbina Concept Car
1948 - World War II had recently ended, but not before introducing jet engines for use in aeronautic applications to the puiblic eye. People were enamored with jets and aviation. Cars began to sprout fins mimicing those of airplanes.
At FIAT, Engineering Director Dante Giacosa wondered if it was possible to harness jet power in an automobile. Two divisions of FIAT were already producing jet engines for aviation and industrial uses, but those engines were far too big for use in an automobile.
Giacosa decided to pursue his idea with the help of Vittorio Bellicardi, in charge of technical calculations. Together, with a few other engineers, they began work in complete secrecy. How secret? No one outside their private little group, not even the FIAT brass, knew what they were developing.
After spending months analyising the latest in aviation jet technology, they began designing their own turbine in September 1950. By May 1951, the design for the Tipo 8001 turbine was complete and ready to build. Testing of individual elements of the turbine began in November that year.
In January 1953, the first fully assembled turbine was tested. The engine used a starter from a FIAT truck and required a 15 second start-up sequence. Once fired up, it produced 300hp at 22,000 rpms and was controlled by a variable fuel metering valve.
Outside of FIAT, both Rover and GM had already publically announced work on jet engines for cars. Giacosa and Bellicardi felt the time was right to reveal the Tipo 8001 engine to the FIAT execs and board of directors.
They loved the idea and gave full funding to the Fiat Turbina project. With the support of Giacosa and Bellicardi, Oscar Montabone was tasked with the designing the car itself. Giacosa designed a 94" wheelbase steel tube chassis. The power of the engine and exhaust flow demanded it be rear mounted. A new, independent double wishbone suspension, just developed for the 8V, was mounted on each corner of the Turbina. Anti-roll bars were also installed. There was no gearbox or clutch. The Turbina had only 2 pedals. One to go and one to stop.
The chassis was completed in February 1954. It was then sent in house to Fabio Luigi Rapi for body design. Using the wind tunnel at Politecnico di Torino, Rapi came up with a sleek shape that achieved an outstanding 0.14 drag coefficent- a record low that lasted for 30 years. Top speed was estimated at 160 mph.
The Turbina could seat 2 people and had a spartan interior. The instrument cluster included over a dozen gauges to montor the various critical elements of the turbine's operation.
On April 14th 1954, the Turbina was tested for the first time on the rooftop track at the Lingotto factory. The first to test drive the Turbina was none other than veteran FIAT tester and pre-war Grand Prix winner, Carlo Salamano. One week later, on April 21st, it was displayed in public for the first time at the Turin Motor Show.
The Turbina was developed further over the next 2 years; however FIAT was unable to move past the Tipo 8001's enormous fuel consumption and tendency to overheat. The project was abandoned in 1956.
Reflecting on his effort, Dante Giacosa said the Turbina showed, "That the motor vehicle design section was also capable of producing a small turbine, that our design engineers were on a par with those in the aeronautical division and, if needed, they could enable Fiat to compete with any foreign manufacturers in the small turbine field. The automobile was there as a concrete testimony to the abilities of the team of young men who had thrown themselves with enthusiasm into this far from easy task. For Fiat, it was precious experience gained. It showed that the turbine was not yet suited to the private automobile-nor may ever become so-but it should still be thoroughly perfected and studied for other uses."
The only copy of the Turbina ever produced is still owned by FIAT and is on display at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Turin.