2. Oldsmobile Jetfire
Unfortunately, the Oldsmobile Jetfire is important among American cars in auto history but never got the respect it deserved. This was the first turbocharged passenger car along with the Chevrolet Corvair Monza. However, the Oldsmobile system was more complex and powerful than the Chevrolet. Back in the early ‘60s, Oldsmobile was an innovative company. In those days, each GM division was in competition with the others. So, Oldsmobile chose turbocharging as the new technology to perfect.
By present standards, the Jetfire V8 was state-of-the-art technology so initially, the market was interested. The new V8 delivered 215 HP, making it one of the best performance cars of the day. It boasted a 0 to 60 mph time of around eight seconds, almost as fast as the Corvette.
Although people praised the power delivery of the new Jetfire, most owners forgot to fill up the Turbo Rocket Fuel tank, which caused a loss of power and eventually engine failure. Soon, the Jetfire had a bad reputation despite praises from automotive magazines. After just two years and around 10,000 units, Oldsmobile killed the car as well as its focus on turbocharging technology.
