During the classic muscle cars era, the competition to lead the industry with radical new features pushed automakers to take risks. This is when modernizations were introduced that we take for granted today. Things like disc brakes, the first automatic transmission, aerodynamics and a modern electric car became a reality.
A poignant example is the Chrysler Turbine Car. Chrysler invested ten years in what became little more than a fleet of prototypes. The car was turbine driven and could run on any fuel. Over-the-top promotional stunts, like doing it with tequila in Mexico and burning Chanel No. 5 perfume in Paris, proved it.
The engine made bold use of turbine power. It used multiple turbines, but no pistons or valves. There was no radiator, no distributor, no carburetor, no valves and just a spark plug. Chrysler’s innovative engine was hand-built in Highland Park. There were several reasons why the Chrysler Turbine car did not catch on. Chrysler scrapped the program and scrapped the entire 50-unit fleet. Book, “Chrysler’s Turbine Car: The Rise and Fall of Detroit’s Coolest Creation” documents the story.
Here, we’ll look at 10 classic cars who were ahead of their time. These cars introduced all kinds of advancements that we expect are standard today.
10 1959 Cadillac El Daurat Biarritz
In 1959, the Cadillac Eldorado was a great example of modern luxury. It was the most expensive American car. Elvis Presley owned one, he liked Caddys. Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack friends also drove the Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. The wraparound windshield still looks space-age chic. Ditto for those heavily sculpted tail fins.
Available as a convertible or hardtop, it was equipped with a V8 engine worthy of 345 horsepower. The luxurious 1959 Cadillac Eldorado came with all the bells and whistles. Power steering, power brakes, automatic transmission, power seats, power windows and a radio that scans the dial. Cadillac introduced new updates like these from the beginning. The original 1912 Cadillac introduced the automatic starter, which was a welcome invention, eventually replacing the crank. And the 1915 Cadillac is the first successful mass-produced car with a V8 engine.
9 1955 Chrysler C-300
The 1954 Chrysler C-300 was the first true classic muscle car, set in the era of Detroit competition for more powerful engines. It was the fastest and most powerful production car available at the time, reaching a top speed of 130 mph. It had a 331-cu. inches V8 with an early Hem with a zero to 60 mph time of 10 seconds.
The C-300 made 300 horsepower. Needless to say, this car dominated NASCAR. In 1955, the indomitable beast achieved 22 victories. A true classic.
8 1980 AMC Eagle
The revolutionary AMC Eagle of 1980 anticipated Subaru all-wheel drive (AWD). The four-door station wagon or sedan was the first crossover utility car made, although the SUV terminology was not yet there.
Sort of a cross between the AMC Gremlin, Pacer, and Rebel, the Eagle was the first American car with AWD. It also featured a raised chassis with rust-resistant galvanized steel. It was the perfect vehicle for inclement climates.
7 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire
The Oldsmobile Jetfire was a futuristic spaceship, relative to other cars of the time. Of all the classic cars of the era, none had a turbocharger, but this one did. It was the first production car to use a turbocharger.
To activate the fuel-injected turbocharger, drivers simply pressed the accelerator pedal to the floor and the car would take off like an airplane.
It was like science fiction. The turbo was fired by injecting a special fuel, called Turbo Rocket Fuel, which was stored in the special Turbo Rocket Fuel tank. If it sounds like it could be unsafe, it was. Oldsmobile allowed owners to keep their Jetfire, but not the turbo system. The manufacturer swapped the problematic fuel injection system for a four-barrel carburetor and conventional intake and exhaust systems, at no additional cost.
6 1948 Tucker
The maker of the Tucker sedan was way ahead of its time. Its engine, a Franklin from a helicopter, was air-cooled and rear-mounted. The rubber suspension smoothed the ride. It provided stability by lowering the center of gravity. And it was equipped with a central headlight that would turn with the steering.
The 1948 car was built by Preston Tucker. His most original thought in the 1948 Tucker was his attention to safety. In the event of a collision, the windshield was ejected, the dashboard was padded, and there was a “crash safety camera” under the dash. The Tucker sedan didn’t make it to the 1950s, but its padded dashboard became standard in Detroit.
5 1974 Sebring-Vanguard Citicar
This little wonder was seen cruising the streets in the 1970s during the heart of the oil crisis. The Citicar, manufactured by Sebring-Vanguard, no longer operates. But his breakthrough car, powered by an 8-horsepower electric motor, was groundbreaking. Its range was about 50 miles and it could reach 40 mph. It was the only electric car, but a few years later, it was gone.
Even so, the Sebring car brand was ranked sixth among American car manufacturers until 1977. The Sebring Citi car was manufactured in Sebring, Florida and was named after that city. Since it was designed on a golf cart, its Sunshine State background makes sense.
4 1951 Hudson Hornet
If you’ve seen it cars (2006), the Pixar film that Disney got right, you already know the Fabulous Hudson Hornet as Doc Hudson, voiced by Paul Newman. In 1951, this car was truly a NASCAR legend nicknamed the “Fabulous Hudson Hornet.” Innovations such as a balanced crankshaft and a dash-mounted oil pressure gauge were a thing. This old muscle car was built with the largest displacement size production engine, a 5.0 liter inline six with 160 horsepower. Dual brakes were more of a necessity than a breakthrough, but they were state of the art.
Detroit-based Hudson Motor Company made production cars for racing and marketing. It lasted until 1954 with a merger with AMC. Steve McQueen had a 1953 Hornet and liked it enough to do a rebuild, as shared on Hagertyinfluencing the name of the Lightning McQueen character.
Hornet Team race car drivers in the 1950s included such names as Herb Thomas, NASCAR’s first multiple Cup champion, Marshall “King of the Beach” Teague and Frank “Rebel” Mundy. Team Hornet drivers won a total of 79 races in just three years, as well as three championships.
3 1953 Corvette
The Corvette’s 1953 introduction to postwar America was humble, but grand. The price of the two-seat convertible roadster that greeted soldiers returning from war and a boosted economy was an affordable value. It was one of the fastest cars of its time, like an old muscle car on par with Porsche, Jaguar and other European roadsters.
The 1953 Corvette was revolutionary in body design. Made from a new material of the day, fiberglass, it was lightweight and complemented an aerodynamic construction. It was one of the first cars with an entirely fiberglass body. Credit goes to GM designer Harley Earl, who chose the lightweight, rust-proof, cost-effective material for the 1953 Corvette.
2 1941 Packard Super Eight 180
State-of-the-art conveniences are Packard’s inventive contribution to the advancement of the automobile. Driving was made easier with an Electromatic Drive, an early automatic transmission.
This beautiful looking car was the first to feature power windows. There was also air conditioning on board to keep cool. The automatic windows used a button-operated hydroelectric lift design. It even had a central privacy partition window. Packard identified the Super Eight as a “sedan limousine” as it could be used either way.
1 1934 Chrysler Airflow
The Chrysler Airflow’s revolutionary contribution to the progression of the automobile was not just aerodynamics, as its name suggests. It was the way the aerodynamics were designed to balance the weight distribution. The 1934 Chrysler Airflow was the first car to streamline the body design in this way.
The Airflow was a pioneer, it had a 50:50 weight distribution. A lightweight unibody frame with aerodynamic sculpture contributed to this engineering achievement.
