Get old-time hot-rodders together and utter the name "Turbonique." The entire conversation will shift to legends and half-truths of the '60s company supposedly created by NASA subcontractors to create a consumer market for rocket technology.
Turbonique Inc. was established in Orlando in 1962 as a mail-order speed parts company producing some of the most amazingly insane automotive upgrades ever to see the light of day. Iowahawk called the company "The Real Acme," and he's probably right.
The company's product line consisted of merely three items: "AP superchargers," "rocket drag axles," and "microturbo thrust engines." All three employed the same basic rocket technology, each just one rung up the ladder of insanity from the other. The key difference? Thermolene monopropellant fuel. Hot Rod magazine explains:
"The term monopropellant describes a fuel that will ignite and burn without the presence of atmospheric oxygen. As a point of comparison, the nitromethane used in Top Fuel dragsters is a semi-monopropellant. It requires a little outside oxygen for complete combustion, but only a small fraction of what is required to burn gasoline, alcohol, or kerosene. Most gas turbines run on petroleum-based fuels that require plenty of air to support combustion. They take in atmospheric air at the front and compress it to a high temperature and pressure. Fuel is then sprayed into this hot air, which ignites, creating the high-pressure gases that drive the turbine wheel and make torque. The problem is that a typical air-breathing gas turbine uses over half of its total turbine power to drive the compressor. Turbonique engineers sidestepped the problem and simply replaced the weighty, expensive, and inefficient compressor with a high-pressure storage bottle containing Normal Propyl Nitrate (Thermolene), a stable, milk-white liquid fuel that brings its own oxygen to the party and that moves the engine into the category of a rocket because it can run without the benefit of atmospheric oxygen. When the Thermolene is introduced to the combustion chamber at 600 psi and ignited by a glorified spark plug connected to an on/off switch, the immediate result is an intense release of hot gases to spin the turbine blades. Anti-swirl turbine wheel vanes prevented flames from exiting the tailpipe, but a special wheel was optional for "spectacular flaming night runs."
A Rare Video Of The "Turbonique" Systems: This video contains silent footage of probably one of the most legendary drag races associated with Turbonique: "The Black Widow," a VW Beetle equipped with a Rocket Drag Axle, up against "Showboat," Tommy Ivo's unbelievable quadruple Buick-engined dragster. It also has a rocket-powered, propeller driven go-kart, a quick-change rocket-powered supercharger sucking fuel through a giant carb and dumping it into an otherwise stock Barracuda, a tiny rocket powered boat, & rocket powered hovering platform.
So what happened to Turbonique? Hot Rod continues:
"But as many users quickly discovered, there was too much power [in Thermolene-fueled dragsters]. Extreme tire spin (even on the best slicks of the day) made Drag Axle-equipped cars difficult to control. Full-quarter-mile smoke shows with impressive trap speeds, but mediocre elapsed times were the rule, not the exception.
Regardless of whether Turbonique was onto something big or not, it all came to an end in the early '70s. Though efforts to contact company founder Gene Middlebrooks for comment were fruitless, persistent, but unconfirmed, rumblings about allegations of mail fraud and prison terms keep surfacing as a sad postscript to the Turbonique saga.
And Now You Can Own The Only Living Example Of This Forgotten Chapter Of Horsepower History!
In the years after WWII, before the advent of the Nader safety nannies and government watchdogs, adventurous entrepreneurs served up an endless parade of fun and dangerous products, one of the most outlandish of which was the Rocket Drag Axle built by the Turbonique Company of Orlando, Florida. Powered by an extremely efficient solid fuel known as Thermolene, the device connected mechanically to a car’s rear differential and, when ignited, delivered upwards of a thousand horsepower to the driveline, producing truly mind-numbing acceleration.
The Rocket Drag Axle’s potential was well demonstrated by the infamous ‘’Black Widow’’ Volkswagen Beetle. A basically stock Bug fitted with an early production unit, the Black Widow became a drag racing legend on September 19, 1966, at Tampa Dragway when it left Tommy Ivo’s four-engine Showboat dragster in its dust with a 9.36 elapsed time at an astonishing 168 mph.
Such wild exploits could not help but draw the attention of Zachary Taylor Reynolds of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco fame. Playboy, pilot, street racer and all-around enfant terrible, the mischievous Reynolds instantly grasped the Rocket Drag Axle’s entertainment potential and conceived of a car that, even beyond its boldly intimidating appearance, would strike fear into unsuspecting onlookers with a prodigious detonation of Rocket Axle power. Reynolds’ creation, a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 he dubbed the “Tobacco King”, was as wild an example of a Rocket Drag Axle-equipped car as there ever was, and certainly fulfilled the young daredevil’s expectations.
As documented in the 1967 Turbonique product catalog, Reynolds replaced the Raven Black Galaxie’s original 390 V8 engine with a 425 horsepower 427 Ford big block fitted with a rare Latham axial flow supercharger and four Carter one-barrel sidedraft carburetors. That alone would have satisfied almost every hot-rodder ever born, but for young Zach it was just the entrée; the main course was the 850 horsepower Rocket Drag Axle fitted to the Galaxie’s differential. Although large and well-built to begin with, the car had to be modified to compensate for the colossal acceleration and speeds of which it was then capable. The frame and suspension were reinforced to handle the enormous torque delivered through the rear axle housing, a parachute installed to assist braking and ground clearance increased to accommodate the large turbine housing that shot flames out from under the rear bumper like a giant acetylene torch.
Forty years later the car still possesses stunning visual impact. From the front it looks every bit the mid-sixties A/FX Thunderbolt racer, with dropped suspension, dump tube headers and unpolished American Torque Thrust wheels. But the picture is only completed by approaching the thing from behind, where the black Simpson chutepack and twin large-diameter tailpipes draw the eyes down to that fearsome rocket exhaust pod.
Inside, the Galaxie’s stock instrument panel is augmented by a set of gauges to monitor engine RPM, supercharger boost and the precariously-harnessed, space-age bomb lurking out back. The Ham Radio installed beneath the dash speaks to Reynolds’ passion as a Ham operator (QSL card #W4TXL, now held by his surviving brother-in-law Bill).
This was as crazy as crazy got in 1967, and is no less so for the years that have passed. Zachary Reynolds put a total of only 3,611 miles on the car before his untimely death in a 1979 plane crash, after which it was placed in careful storage. It is accompanied by early registrations, the original owner’s manual made out to Zachary Taylor Reynolds, an illustrated Turbonique product catalog, Latham Supercharger literature and Zach’s personal notebook. Unrestored and in superb condition throughout, the “Tobacco King” is a delightfully shocking artifact that speaks to a period when daredevils and adventurers gave full sway to the forces that drove them.
Lot S139 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 "Tobacco King" Rocket Car
Highlights:
- 1964 Ford Galaxie “Tobacco King” street rod - Built by Tobacco magnate Zachary Reynolds of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company - All original including Ham Radio equipment - 3,611 actual miles - 427/425 HP Ford big-block equipped with Latham Supercharger, four sidedraft Carters - Rear axle fitted with 850 HP Turbonique turbine Rocket Drag Axle - Several suspension modifications made for safety - Documented in an original Turbonique product catalog for 1967 with 4 pages of photos - Early registrations - Original owners manual made out to Zachary Taylor Reynolds - Original Latham Supercharger literature - Zach's personal notebook - The Galaxie’s original and complete 390 V-8 engine accompanies the car
*** This car to be offered at Dana Mecum’s Original Spring Classic Auction May 15-16-17-18 in Indianapolis, IN *** *** Auction Selling Time For This Lot is Saturday 4:40 PM ***
[This message has been edited by Boondawg (edited 03-10-2010).]
Had a good friend in high school that had one of those beasts. The 65 Galaxy 500. For as heavy a car as it was it would get up and go. Even with just the 390.
It however did not have the Thermolene,
Ah the 60’s, when cars were made of steel.
When 300 HP was on the low end for fast cars.
Steve
quote
Originally posted by Boondawg:
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't. Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.
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10:15 AM
hugh Member
Posts: 5563 From: Clementon,NJ,USA Registered: Jun 2000
I remember those things. I was running at Dallas Ga. Dragway one night and they brought out a Chevelle with that thing bolted into the 3rd member. They had been running radio ads of a stock Chevelle that would turn better than 100 in a quarter. It was a stock engined car with factory tires. 396 CI if I remember correctly. Probably only the track people knew what this thing had. I think it turned something like 150 on the 1/8 mile track.
On his first run when he came off the line, I remember the noise and fire from the rear. I turned to run and I heard him go past. During the night he made 4 or 5 runs. He had a lot of trouble controlling it because everytime he'd light it up the tires would break loose. I believe they said it produced around 1000 HP and could be set up to run on almost anything, like kerosene or diesel. Cost about a thousand bucks at the time. Was saving my money to get one for my 54 Olds Rocket 88, but Uncle Sam got me first.
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10:40 AM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003
You're right. It drive directly onto the ring gear. He would always get the car in motion under its own power before he'd hit the trigger on the Turbonique.
They had George Barris's Bat Mobile there the same night. They wouldn't run them at the same time due to safety and probably didn't want to chance a collision with the Bat Mobile, but the Chevelle beat the Bat Mobile in all runs, and the Bat Mobile was no slacker.
Never saw the Black Widow run at any of the strips where I ran. Actually, I never saw the Turbonique but that one time.
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12:34 PM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003
If you have some extra money laying around, this could be the coolest car any car freak has ever seen. And just ONCE, you could hit that button, and literally go back to the future. I'm sweating just thinking about it.
[This message has been edited by NEPTUNE (edited 03-10-2010).]
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08:32 PM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003
If you have some extra money laying around, this could be the coolest car any car freak has ever seen. And just ONCE, you could hit that button, and literally go back to the future. I'm sweating just thinking about it.
What is this go-kart doing in the middle of all this ? Well, it is a turbonique rocket propelled kart, these little devils turned out amazing short times on the drag racing strips in the sixties. One such kart was found recently, his new owner - a go-kart enthusiast - proudly shows it in his website http://www.rocketkart.com/ Here is a phrase from his site "According to all accounts this kart went from zero to 150mph in 4 seconds before becoming airborne and sliding out of control." Please feel free to click on the picture above and enter a new page I created with information about that kart and about Turbonique, the company.
Holy carp 150 on something that sketchy looking.
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12:27 AM
Mar 12th, 2010
MadMark Member
Posts: 2935 From: Owosso, Michigan, USA Registered: Feb 2010
I remember the Turbonique engine, it was called a radial input axial output turbine. The original one was 850 hp and that is what the Black Widow had. If I remember right the Black Widow had one run where it went over 150 mph and basically lifted off from the track and flipped over. The gokart was just rocket thrust alone and the latest one they produced was rated at 1000hp and 1050 ft-lbs of torqu at dead stall. That means that when you light it off you have instant full torque.
I finally saw one run at Seatle International Raceway in 1971. It was in a full steel bodied mustang. No other engine other than the turbine. They would push it up to the line and it would sit there and you could hear him purge it and then he would fire it off. It instantly turned the tires at full speed and there was a huge cloud of tire smoke with the orange flame coming out of his tailpipe. All you saw as it went down the strip was a cloud of smoke with an orange glow inside of it. It was truly impressive and if I remember correctly it was the first car that I saw go under 6 seconds in the quarter.
They made a total of 3 runs and on the third run the turbine wheel blew out. Understand that this turbine wheel was turning over 100,000 RPM's. It bounced along the track and struck the fence. You could see sparks everytime the turbine wheel hit the concrete. Foolishly some of the people at the track went towards this spinning wheel as it tried to eat its way through the fence. Myself I went the other way fearing that it would eat its way through before it lost its energy. Luckily no one was hurt.
I was really impressed with this thing. It sure beat my Triumph TR3 with an aluminum block 300HP Buick V-8 in it.
One last note, I thought that the one I saw was powered with something called Purple Nitrate. Can't be sure though it has been a long time. Also, the turbine was mounted in-between two left halfs of a Ford 3/4 ton pickup with a sprague clutch for the street models, so you could drive with the normal engine and then kick ass with the turbine if you wanted too.
