Auto History: Timeline Of Factory Turbo Cars
#1
04-23-2016, 04:41 PM
Auto History: Timeline Of Factory Turbo Cars
Timeline Of Factory Turbo Cars
Turbochargers were a novelty 50 years ago, but today you can find turbocharged gasoline engines in everything from the 40-mpg Chevrolet Cruze to the 365hp Ford F-150 EcoBoost V6 in F-150 trucks. More factory turbo applications are on the horizon, too. Cadillac has a twin-turbo V6 in the works, and rumor has it that it’s only a matter of time before the Mustang has another turbo four-cylinder on the option sheet. With all of these boosted engines becoming available, we thought it would be a good time to take a quick look back at the 50-year-old roots of factory turbos from the Big Three.
1962
The 150hp turbocharged flat six in the ’62 Corvair (shown) beat the Turbo Jetfire Oldsmobile 215 to market by a matter of weeks to claim the title of first factory turbo. The Olds used a water-ethanol spray to cool the intake charge and was rated at 215 hp and 300 lb-ft.
2/19
1965
Chevrolet Corvair’s turbocharged 164-cube flat six now produces 180 hp. Dick Griffin won the NHRA B-Stock class twice in a Corvair with a best pass of 13.03 seconds at 113.92 mph.
3/19
1978
The first applications of the turbo Buick 3.8L are the B-body Buick LeSabre Sport Coupe and A/G-body Regal.
7/19
1979
The first year of the Fox-body Mustang is also the first year for a turbo Mustang. The 135hp, 2.3L four-cylinder became the top engine after the 5.0L was debored to 4.2L shortly after the Fox-body launch. Also in 1979, the Buick Riviera (now a front-wheel-drive E-body) gets a turbo 3.8L.
8/19
1980
Pontiac Trans Am gets a turbocharged 301 V8 rated at 210 hp and 336 lb-ft.
9/19
1981
Chevrolet Monte Carlo got a 170hp version of the 3.8L Buick turbo.
10/19
1982
Little known fact: 1982 was the first year of the Buick Grand National, but a few ’82 Grand Nationals were also turbocharged Sport Coupes.
11/19
12/19
1984
Grand National (top) returns, dressed all in black, with fuel injection and a 200hp, 300-lb-ft 3.8L. Mustang SVO debuts with a turbo 2.3L producing 175 hp. Dodge puts turbo four-cylinders in just about all the little front-drive cars, including the Daytona (right).
13/19
1985
Dodge Omni GLH ("Goes Like Hell") debuts with a turbo 2.2L four-cylinder. The Charger GLH-S (right) followed for 1987.
The 2.3L turbo in the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, first introduced in 1983, now offers 155 hp.
14/19
1986
The Grand National receives a Garrett intercooler, which helps boost power to 235 hp.
Ford's new 2.3L turbo now produces 190 hp in the Thunderbird and 200 hp in the Mustang SVO. Carroll Shelby modified the final 500 Dodge Omni GLH cars with an intercooler and more boost to put out 175 hp and 175 lb-ft. They were sold as the Shelby GLH-S.
15/19
1987
Further tuning yields 245 hp and 355 lb-ft for Grand Nationals (top). The limited-production Buick GNX, built by McLaren Performance Technologies, boasts 276 hp and 360 lb-ft. The Dodge-based Shelby Lancer debuts; it was, and still is, the only four-door Shelby (right).
16/19
1989
With the G-body dead, the turbo 3.8L Buick migrates to Pontiac and finds itself in an F-body. Pontiac made 1,555 copies of the 20th Anniversary Edition Trans Am, every one of them white with a tan interior. Rumor has it the 250 hp rating was low to not step on the V8's toes. Dodge Caravan was available with a 150 hp 2.2L turbo.
17/19
1991
The GMC Syclone carries a turbocharged version of Chev's 4.3L, 90-degree V6. Available only in black, the all-white-drive minitruck puts 280 hp and 350 lb-ft through a BorgWarner transfer case. Just 2,996 were produced.
1992
The GMC Typhoon (based on the S-10 Blazer/S-15 Jimmy) produces 280 hp and 360 lb-ft from a 4.3L V6 with a Mitsubishi turbo and Garrett intercooler. Less than 5,000 were built in the two-year production run.
2003
Dodge adds a 2.4L turbocharged engine to the Neon to create the SRT-4. Initially rated at 215 hp, the ’04 and ’05 models are upgraded to 230 hp.
18/19
2008
Cobalt SS, once powered by a 205hp supercharged 2.0L, gets the turbocharged, direct-injected LNF 2.0L with 260 hp and 260 lb-ft. In 2009, Chevrolet offered a Stage 1 kit for the LNF that increases output to 280 hp and 320 lb-ft.
Written by Brandan Gillogly on Roddin' @ Random
Turbochargers were a novelty 50 years ago, but today you can find turbocharged gasoline engines in everything from the 40-mpg Chevrolet Cruze to the 365hp Ford F-150 EcoBoost V6 in F-150 trucks. More factory turbo applications are on the horizon, too. Cadillac has a twin-turbo V6 in the works, and rumor has it that it’s only a matter of time before the Mustang has another turbo four-cylinder on the option sheet. With all of these boosted engines becoming available, we thought it would be a good time to take a quick look back at the 50-year-old roots of factory turbos from the Big Three.
1962
The 150hp turbocharged flat six in the ’62 Corvair (shown) beat the Turbo Jetfire Oldsmobile 215 to market by a matter of weeks to claim the title of first factory turbo. The Olds used a water-ethanol spray to cool the intake charge and was rated at 215 hp and 300 lb-ft.
2/191965
Chevrolet Corvair’s turbocharged 164-cube flat six now produces 180 hp. Dick Griffin won the NHRA B-Stock class twice in a Corvair with a best pass of 13.03 seconds at 113.92 mph.
3/191978
The first applications of the turbo Buick 3.8L are the B-body Buick LeSabre Sport Coupe and A/G-body Regal.
7/191979
The first year of the Fox-body Mustang is also the first year for a turbo Mustang. The 135hp, 2.3L four-cylinder became the top engine after the 5.0L was debored to 4.2L shortly after the Fox-body launch. Also in 1979, the Buick Riviera (now a front-wheel-drive E-body) gets a turbo 3.8L.
8/191980
Pontiac Trans Am gets a turbocharged 301 V8 rated at 210 hp and 336 lb-ft.
9/191981
Chevrolet Monte Carlo got a 170hp version of the 3.8L Buick turbo.
10/191982
Little known fact: 1982 was the first year of the Buick Grand National, but a few ’82 Grand Nationals were also turbocharged Sport Coupes.
11/19 12/191984
Grand National (top) returns, dressed all in black, with fuel injection and a 200hp, 300-lb-ft 3.8L. Mustang SVO debuts with a turbo 2.3L producing 175 hp. Dodge puts turbo four-cylinders in just about all the little front-drive cars, including the Daytona (right).
13/191985
Dodge Omni GLH ("Goes Like Hell") debuts with a turbo 2.2L four-cylinder. The Charger GLH-S (right) followed for 1987.
The 2.3L turbo in the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, first introduced in 1983, now offers 155 hp.
14/191986
The Grand National receives a Garrett intercooler, which helps boost power to 235 hp.
Ford's new 2.3L turbo now produces 190 hp in the Thunderbird and 200 hp in the Mustang SVO. Carroll Shelby modified the final 500 Dodge Omni GLH cars with an intercooler and more boost to put out 175 hp and 175 lb-ft. They were sold as the Shelby GLH-S.
15/191987
Further tuning yields 245 hp and 355 lb-ft for Grand Nationals (top). The limited-production Buick GNX, built by McLaren Performance Technologies, boasts 276 hp and 360 lb-ft. The Dodge-based Shelby Lancer debuts; it was, and still is, the only four-door Shelby (right).
16/191989
With the G-body dead, the turbo 3.8L Buick migrates to Pontiac and finds itself in an F-body. Pontiac made 1,555 copies of the 20th Anniversary Edition Trans Am, every one of them white with a tan interior. Rumor has it the 250 hp rating was low to not step on the V8's toes. Dodge Caravan was available with a 150 hp 2.2L turbo.
17/191991
The GMC Syclone carries a turbocharged version of Chev's 4.3L, 90-degree V6. Available only in black, the all-white-drive minitruck puts 280 hp and 350 lb-ft through a BorgWarner transfer case. Just 2,996 were produced.
1992
The GMC Typhoon (based on the S-10 Blazer/S-15 Jimmy) produces 280 hp and 360 lb-ft from a 4.3L V6 with a Mitsubishi turbo and Garrett intercooler. Less than 5,000 were built in the two-year production run.
2003
Dodge adds a 2.4L turbocharged engine to the Neon to create the SRT-4. Initially rated at 215 hp, the ’04 and ’05 models are upgraded to 230 hp.
18/192008
Cobalt SS, once powered by a 205hp supercharged 2.0L, gets the turbocharged, direct-injected LNF 2.0L with 260 hp and 260 lb-ft. In 2009, Chevrolet offered a Stage 1 kit for the LNF that increases output to 280 hp and 320 lb-ft.
#2
04-23-2016, 09:46 PM
That's interesting trivia Mike. Thanks for sharing.
Did you know the first "Supercharged" factory car was the 1937 Cord model 812?
It boosted the V8 engine from 125 to 170 h.p.
It was also front wheel drive and had an independent front suspension.
It was the last model the Cord Motor Co. ever produced.
A turbo does the same job as the supercharger – force more air into the car's engine to make more power. However, a turbo uses a turbine and is NOT connected to the crankshaft. Instead of the engine, the turbo gets driven by the car's exhaust gases. The advantages and disadvantages are obvious.
Did you know the first "Supercharged" factory car was the 1937 Cord model 812?
It boosted the V8 engine from 125 to 170 h.p.
It was also front wheel drive and had an independent front suspension.
It was the last model the Cord Motor Co. ever produced.
A turbo does the same job as the supercharger – force more air into the car's engine to make more power. However, a turbo uses a turbine and is NOT connected to the crankshaft. Instead of the engine, the turbo gets driven by the car's exhaust gases. The advantages and disadvantages are obvious.
Last edited by plumbob; 04-23-2016 at 09:52 PM.
#3
04-23-2016, 09:58 PM
Hi Bob, I'm happy that you liked this thread 
Yes, I did know about the Cord, but wasn't sure of the year. Thanks for posting it for other's that may not have seen it before or knew about it.
It was grandpa Spaces favorite old car. He took the Beach Bum's & I to a classic old car show in West Palm Beach when we were kids that had one. He must have spent an hour just walking around it & then he went back again later.
He said it was a car before it's time & said it would be worth a lot of money in future years. I wish I had one in my garage. Oh, I wish I had a garage to (LOL)...
Yes, I did know about the Cord, but wasn't sure of the year. Thanks for posting it for other's that may not have seen it before or knew about it. It was grandpa Spaces favorite old car. He took the Beach Bum's & I to a classic old car show in West Palm Beach when we were kids that had one. He must have spent an hour just walking around it & then he went back again later.
He said it was a car before it's time & said it would be worth a lot of money in future years. I wish I had one in my garage. Oh, I wish I had a garage to (LOL)...
#4
04-23-2016, 10:03 PM
Below is for those that want to buy one (LOL)
11 vehicles matched.
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$44,500
(CC-812074) 1936 Cord 810 WestchesterListed by Beverly Hills Car Club1936 Cord Westchester 810 1936 Cord Westchester 810 in burgundy with black interior. Comes equipped with a V8 with a 4 speed manual transmis... (Read more)
50 PhotosAdd to Favorites
To Be Sold At AuctionAUCTION
(CC-800425) 1937 Cord 812Listed by Worldwide AuctioneersChassis No.32047 HFor the complete description or to view additional photos, click here... (Read more) 1 PhotoAdd to Favorites
To Be Sold At AuctionAUCTION
(CC-800445) 1929 Cord L-29Listed by Worldwide AuctioneersChassis No.2925737For the complete description or to view additional photos, click here... (Read more) 1 PhotoAdd to Favorites
$139,500
(CC-765072) 1937 Cord 810 WestchesterListed by Hyman Ltd. Classic CarsGordon Beuhrig’s Cord 812 is one of the most recognizable and iconic American automobiles of the classic era. The 810 and 812 were devised... (Read more) 34 PhotosAdd to Favorites
$65,000
(CC-761492) 1937 Cord AntiqueListed by Classic Cars of South CarolinaThis really RARE 1937 Cord Beverly Bustle Back is just an absolutely beautiful car!! She is a 4 door Bustle Back with a 9 inch Ford rear-end... (Read more) 18 PhotosAdd to Favorites
$59,900
(CC-758871) 1936 Cord AntiqueListed by Okoboji Classic Cars LLCThe New Cord premiers in 1936 with its new design featuring rounded body panels, coffin hood, and no running-boards all in the name of impro... (Read more) 29 PhotosAdd to Favorites
To Be Sold At AuctionAUCTION
(CC-729456) 1937 Cord 812Listed by RM Sotheby'sTo be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sotheby’s Hershey event, October 8-9, 2015.Estimate:\$150,000 - \$175,000 US170 bhp, 288 cu. ...(Read more) 26 PhotosAdd to Favorites
$239,000
(CC-710782) 1937 Cord 812Listed by Silverstone MotorcarsTHIS CAR IS PHYSICALLY LOCATED IN MILTON, MA What we have here is a stunning - numbers matching - 1937 Cord 812SC Supercharged Phaeton with ... (Read more) 96 PhotosAdd to Favorites
Contact Seller
(CC-701197) 1969 Cord SamcoListed by MotoeXotica Classic Cars1969 Cord 8/10 Replica Convertible Same owner for 21 Years Oklahoma SAMCO Convertible Cord Part of the Klairmont Kollections Fiberglass body... (Read more) 9 Photos 1 VideoAdd to Favorites
$97,500
(CC-694621) 1937 Cord BeverlyListed by Hyman Ltd. Classic CarsAt first glance, the Cord 810/812 may not seem like it is a car born of the Great Depression. But at that time, high end manufacturers we... (Read more) 27 PhotosAdd to Favorites
1937 Cord sold to benefit ELK Charity Challenge | Leake Auction Co. photos With a record-number of vehicles crossing (read more)
#5
04-23-2016, 10:14 PM
The photo of this car was taken in the "Americas Car Museum" in Tacoma, WA, 10 miles from my home. It's one of the largest car museums in the world. It was started after the death of Harold Lemay, a local garbage collection mogul who once had over 400 vehicles in his private collection.
https://www.americascarmuseum.org/explore/collection/
https://www.americascarmuseum.org/explore/collection/
#6
04-23-2016, 10:26 PM
Thanks `Bob for your posted link above.
It's great that you live so close and can visit often.
It's also great that there are people that preserve vehicles of the past so the present generations can view & enjoy.
I've only been to classic car shows or local custom/rod/car shows.
I really enjoy cars/vehicles of the past & the present.
Now, I'd be happy to just have any car (lol)..
It's great that you live so close and can visit often.
It's also great that there are people that preserve vehicles of the past so the present generations can view & enjoy.
I've only been to classic car shows or local custom/rod/car shows.
I really enjoy cars/vehicles of the past & the present.
Now, I'd be happy to just have any car (lol)..