Odd and Interesting Vehicles: 1953 General Motors Firebird I XP-21

Ten years before Chrysler market tested its first turbine car, General Motors created a turbine-powered engineering and design study called the Firebird I XP-21. It was designed by Harley Earl, a legendary figure in the automotive world and the creator of many of GM's most beautiful concepts and production models.

The concept’s fiberglass body was inspired by early jet aircraft. Though it looked like it would get thrust through its tail cone like a jet fighter, the power from the turbine was channeled through a transmission to drive the rear wheels. The “Whirlfire Turbo-Power” powerplant could produce 370 horsepower with its turbine spinning at 13,000 rpm.