With research and planning beginning in 1948…this provocative and eccentric sports coupe created a fascinating sensation with a wild twist in the archives of automotive history.
The Fiat Turbina aka 8001…was refined and finished on April 14, 1954 and was seen running laps on the rooftop track at the Lingotto factory with chief Fiat driver Carlo Salamano behind the wheel. It was later publicly displayed at the 36th Turin Motor Show. Italian based Fiat was the second manufacturer to introduce a car propelled by a gas turbine behind Rover. Revelations and advancements of the gas turbine in aviation caused a competition amongst car manufacturers to apply a complementary solution to automobiles. Responsible for the cars development…the project was led by in-house engineers Dante Giacosa and Oscar Montadone, and designed by the brilliant Luigi Rapi.
The result is this ingenious, aerodynamically efficient and visionary berlinetta design. The chassis originates from the Fiat 8V…and the futuristic body shell is defined by two rear stabilizing fins which forms a totally removable soundproof rear section that houses the engine.
The bodywork was stringently wind tunnel tested at the Politecnico Di Torino facilities and the 8001 impressively displays a drag coefficient of just 0.14…a record it would hold solidly for 30 years.
This one-off experimental prototype boasts innovative technology and mechanical refinement…and is fired up by a gas turbine that could easily reach 160 mph. The Fiat type 8001 is a rear mid-engine…rear wheel drive car that incorporates a two stage centrifugal compressor…paired with a two stage turbin, plus a single-stage driving turbin, three can-type combustors, and a relative gear reduction for the transmission to the wheels. The 8001 cranks out about 300 hp. The affirmed power was reported to be 300 cv to 22,000 turns to the minute, and the enclosed propeller was completely removable…there was no gearbox or clutch. There were two gas tanks capable of holding 60 liters each, and they were fitted into the sills below the door-cutouts.
Eventually the 8001 concept was aborted due to high fuel usage and overheating.
It remained an experimental and research prototype until it was donated by Fiat to MAUTO…Turin National Automobile Museum. It is written that in the era of its creation…no other power unit was as distinctive or caused as much enthusiasm for the press and public.
Von Striker Global Consultant
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