Being a diehard history nerd, I find it fascinating to read about the many obscure concepts and prototypes that helped General Motors evolve into what is, in my opinion, the greatest automaker of all time. One such concept, Chevrolet’s awesome Turbo Titan III, was a revolutionary 18-wheeler created during Detroit’s turbine mania. That said, the truck isn’t just a premier showcase of the style and creativity that fueled America’s obsession with the Space Age; it’s also an enduring commentary on what some consider the golden era of General Motors innovation.

Coast To Coast “The Chevrolet Way”

Officially revealed at the 1965 New York World’s Fair, the Turbo Titan III was the product of almost two decades of engineering and experimentation. General Motors had begun working with gas turbine engines all the way back in 1949, and had already debuted multiple gas turbine concept cars. In fact, the 1954 Firebird I, dreamed up by GM Design legend Harley Earl, introduced the Whirlfire GT-304 gas turbine engine: the first gas turbine unit ever tested in an American automobile. Firebird II and III would follow in 1956 and 1958, and GM would even experiment with gas turbine buses, creating five different Turbo Cruisers over the course of 20 years that also featured early CVT transmissions.

Designer Harley Earl with GM Firebirds I, II, and III. Photo courtesy of GM.

Beware The Bison

Perhaps the biggest influence on the 1965 Turbo Titan III was the Chevrolet Bison. A radical big rig show vehicle that bowed a year earlier, the Bison featured two separate gas turbines, one for cruising and one for pulls, that were coupled with a hybrid electrical system which powered the truck’s trailer axles. The trailer axles needed power because the Bison boasted four-wheel steering. Oh, and don’t worry about retrofitting existing trailers with special axles since the Bison also debuted GM’s new modular shipping containers–a concept closely related to today’s sea containers.

The Chevrolet Bison concept. Photo courtesy of GM.

The 1,000 horsepower Bison featured Space Age aero that, in addition to adding a futuristic appearance, literally guided air into the truck’s turbines. Other features included hydraulic jacks for easier trailering, built-in sand spreaders for traction, a cellular phone, and an aircraft-style yoke in place of the traditional steering wheel. There was only one problem: the Bison was a non-functioning pushmobile, and Ford and Chrysler… Well, they already had gas turbine cars on the road.

Big Red And The Engelbirds

As most automotive history buffs know, Chrysler launched a fleet of experimental gas turbine cars, affectionately known as the Engelbirds, in 1963–a full year earlier than the debut of GM’s static Chevrolet Bison. Wrapped in bodies designed by Carrozzeria Ghia, the Chrysler cars were, by far, the marketing winners of Detroit’s turbine era. To make matters worse, in early 1964 Ford had debuted Big Red, their fully functional gas turbine 18-wheeler that had already logged long-haul highway miles. Amazingly, Big Red is still around! After serving a stint at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Holman & Moody, the truck was scooped up by a private collector and has spent decades in obscurity. But that’s another story for another publication. The point is: GM needed to catch up, especially since, at that time, gas turbine engines held real promise as the next phase of commuter transportation.

Turbo Titan I And II

While the General didn’t have prototypes on public roads in 1964, it had been developing gas turbine engines for close to 20 years. Its latest and greatest iteration was the GT-309, a free-turbine design that operated at a brisk 35,700 rpm. Of course, that speed was cut down via reduction gear to a manageable 4,000 rpm at idle for the sake of a brand new six-speed automatic transmission developed by GM subsidiary Allison. Since the engine’s output shaft wasn’t connected to the initial compressor stage, it allowed the output turbine to be more fluid. That system, dubbed Power Transfer, resulted in 280 horsepower and 875 lb-ft of stall torque at idle.

Photo courtesy of GM.

Compared to a diesel of similar output, the GT-309 was substantially more compact and weighed roughly 66% less. It could run on many different fuels, including cooking oils and kerosene. Additionally, the turbine pulled power off its gasifier compressor rotor to double or triple engine braking. And a single regenerator recovered 90% of exhaust heat, creating an output temperature of just 500 degrees, which was substantially cooler than typical turbine exhaust.

Not wanting to waste a minute on PR fluff or fancy digs, GM mounted GT-309s into two long-haul trucks, dubbed Turbo Titan I and Turbo Titan II, and began logging highway miles.

Turbo Titan III

By the time it debuted at the 1965 New York World’s Fair, the Turbo Titan III had made coast-to-coast runs across America. The GT-309 had been renamed Whirlfire Turbo Power, a nod to the Whirlfire GT-304 in the 1954 Firebird I concept. Lead designer Bill Mitchell had wrapped the engineers’ tech in striking styling that looks relevant even 60 years later, and the truck was already being featured in print ads with the tagline “The Chevrolet Way”.

The Chevrolet Turbo Titan III. Photo courtesy of GM.

Unlike Turbo Titans I and II, Turbo Titan III was revolutionary in ways other than its gas turbine engine. The truck’s cab, situated in a more traditional cabover engine layout, was manufactured from fiberglass-reinforced polymer. While it didn’t look as outlandish as the Bison, Turbo Titan III did feature Space Age styling that included prominent aerodynamic elements. The truck’s headlights and turn signals retracted into its body when not in use, a sort of precursor to Chevy’s upcoming Camaro Rally Sport. The cab tilted electronically, as did the truck’s swing-up windows. Suspended “astronaut seating” faced aircraft-style telemetry and a newfangled FM radio. Unique Saginaw Twin Dial steering allowed the driver to control the entire rig with one hand, and naturally, GM created a custom, 40-foot stainless trailer to match the tractor.

Ultimately, while turbine technology showed promise on the highway, it was extremely inefficient in every other scenario when compared to gas or diesel engines. While the engines are simple and can run on about any fuel, they just aren’t cut out for light-duty use. According to GM insiders, the Turbo Titan III suffered the same sad fate as many of the company’s early concept cars: an unceremonious date with the crusher. Interestingly, this wouldn’t be the last time GM experimented with turbines. In 1981, the company displayed production-ready cars that utilized simple air compressors to blow stored coal dust into small turbines. The idea was to show Americans that a gasoline shortage didn’t necessarily spell the end of easy automotive travel.

1979 Cadillac Eldorado powered by a coal-fired turbine. Photo courtesy of GM.

The Chevrolet Turbo Titan III stands as one of GM’s boldest experiments; a rolling showcase of turbine technology, futuristic styling, and the unshakable optimism of the Space Age. While the dream of gas turbine trucks never made it to production, the Titan III captured a moment when Detroit wasn’t afraid to chase wild ideas and put them on display for the world to see. Today, it’s less about what the Titan accomplished on the road and more about what it represents: a golden era of American innovation, when we dared to think bigger, push boundaries, and imagine a future that was as radical as the machines it built.