’63 Oldsmobile Jetfire, a sports coupe featuring the revolutionary Turbo-Rocket engine (1962)
From Auburn Journal (Auburn, California) August 16, 1962
“The Jetfire, powered by a sensationally-performing turbocharged engine, has a distinctive exterior appearance highlighted by dual windsplits on the hood, satin aluminum band along each side, and special Jet-fire emblems,” said Jack F. Wolfram, Oldsmobile general manager and a vice president of General Motors.
“The Turbo-Rocket engine powering the Jetfire,” Wolfram added, “is like no other turbo-charged engine in the industry. An Oldsmobile first, the Turbo-Rocket combines supercharging with ultra high-compression for outstanding performance without the loss of operating economy.
“The key to this,” he noted, “has been the development of a system whereby a specially-formulated Turbo-Rocket fluid is injected into the engine. This fluid controls combustion by maintaining a more uniform burning rate during combustion in each cylinder. Injection of Turbo-Rocket fluid makes possible turbo-charging at a highly efficient 10.25 to 1 compression ratio with available premium-grade gasolines.”
The Jetfire’s Turbo-Rocket engine develops one horsepower for each of its 215 cubic inches of displacement, attaining a long-standing production car design goal of automotive engineers. Its power-to-weight ratio is also extremely low at 1.88 lbs. per horsepower. The lightness of this aluminum V-8 engine makes it more economical to operate. The turbocharger unit is mounted atop the Turbo-Rocket engine. Its major components are a turbine wheel, compressor fan and a horizontal-type carburetor.
Turbo-chargers end super-chargers are designed to increase power output by pumping more air-fuel mixture through the engine for increased performance. Normally, super-chargers are linked to the engine by gears, chains or belts, and engine power is required to run them, even when super-charging is not needed.
Oldsmobile’s turbo-charging principle, however, makes use of exhaust gas energy without consuming engine power and uses no additional fuel for operation. Exhaust gases drive the turbine wheel which turns the compressor fan up to 90,000 revolutions per minute at maximum speed.
An additional advantage of Oldsmobile’s turbo-charger is the instantaneous response to the driver’s command. There is little inertial or “wind-up” resistance to sudden changes in speed, due to the small diameter of the turbine and compressor wheels. They are less than 2-1/2-inches in diameter, much smaller than the “fans” in conventional superchargers.
Interior appointments of the Jetfire offer true sports car flair. Front bucket seats and a center console are standard equipment at no extra cost. A Turbo-Charger performance gauge is mounted on the console.
A three-speed transmission is standard on the Jetfire. A four-speed manual transmission or the 4-S Hydra-Matic drive is optional at extra cost and includes stick shift control mounted or the console. All three transmissions include a high-performance rear axle gear ratio of 3.36 to 1.
Jetfire: America’s first production car with a fluid-injected turbocharged engine!
Here comes the only one of its kind!
Jetfire — an exclusive from Oldsmobile
You can lift the hood of any other car in America… but you’ll never see the kind of engine the 1963 Oldsmobile JETFIRE carries back of its stylish grille. It’s the aluminum Turbo-Rocket V-8 — the only fluid-injected, turbocharged engine ever to power a production automobile!
On top of that, JETFIRE boasts foam-padded bucket seats. A sporty control console. Plus a rakish look and crisp road-sure maneuverability that label it pure sports car from tip to taillights! Why not slide into an Oldsmobile JETFIRE today and find out what “one of a kind” really means!
There’s “Something Extra” about owning an OLDSMOBILE!
TURBO-ROCKET V-8 uses waste exhaust gases to boost power nearly 40% … delivers 215 h. p…. one horsepower for every cubic inch of displacement!
Oldsmobile Division, General Motors Corp.
Oldsmobile Jetfire Popular Science cover (May 1963)
’64 Jetfire: Brand new 88-series to fire you up… with a brand new boiled-down price
When Oldsmobile comes out with a lower-priced model, that’s big news. But when Oldsmobile comes out with a whole new series of full-size, lower-priced 88s, that’s nothing short of sensational.
Shining example: The four new Jetstar 88s — brilliantly styled running mates to Oldsmobile’s long-famous Super and Dynamic 88 models.
Performance? Just wait’ll you turn the key on the high-stepping new 330-cubic-inch Jetfire Rocket V-8 and feel and feel the quiet, quicksilver thrust of the new variable-vane Jetway transmission. That, sir, is action! Together with the sticker on the window… it can make you an Oldsmobile owner quicker than anything we know!
’64 Olds Jetstar 88 and Jetstar I
1965 Jetstar 88 cars
’65 Oldsmobile Jetstar 88
