Which car brand was the first to use turbocharging?
2 Answers
The turbocharged engine for household use that gained market recognition was first employed by SAAB. However, in reality, General Motors was the first company to apply turbocharging technology to automobiles. In 1962, General Motors produced the Oldsmobile Jetfire, equipped with a 3.52-liter all-aluminum V8 turbocharged engine with a maximum power output of 215 horsepower. In the same year, the Chevrolet Corvair was fitted with a 2.4-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder turbocharged engine. Additionally, the BMW 2002 Turbo, introduced in 1973, and the Porsche 911 (930 TURBO), launched in 1975, both predated SAAB by a significant margin. However, these earlier models from other manufacturers were merely experimental installations with immature technology. The severe vibrations and turbo lag made them prone to dangerous situations during cornering, leading to a lack of public acceptance and their eventual discontinuation. SAAB was the first company to overcome these challenges. In other words, SAAB was the first manufacturer to produce a turbocharged engine car that gained public recognition. In 1976, SAAB successfully applied turbocharging technology for the first time in the Saab 99 Turbo model. This marked the true beginning of maturity in the application of turbocharging technology in automobile engines, heralding the dawn of a new era in the automotive industry and setting a trend for the sector.
I remember the story of how turbocharging first appeared in a production car is particularly fascinating. In 1962, General Motors' Oldsmobile brand launched the Jetfire V8, widely recognized as the first mass-produced turbocharged car. Its 3.5-liter V8 engine, equipped with a turbocharger, saw its horsepower skyrocket from the standard 155 hp to 215 hp—quite a feat for the 1960s! However, turbo technology was still immature back then, requiring owners to manually add 'Turbo Rocket Fluid' containing methanol to prevent knocking. Due to reliability issues, production ceased after just one year. Looking back now, this granddaddy of a car was truly a pioneer in turbocharging technology.
